Something For the Rest of Us
by MandyLeigh87
Summary: "We're the broken ones. The damaged. The left behind. The forgotten. Sometimes love is all we have. It's something for the rest of us." ExB Rated M Drama/Romance/Some Angst EPOV
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This story contains elements that could be sensitive to some readers, including issues pertaining drugs, domestic violence, abadonment, ect. **

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It starts out like any other day. I get up early, before everyone else. I put on my tennis shoes and drive until I hit sand. The beach is always the best place to run.

I get out of my car just as the sun starts to creep up over the horizon, casting an orange glow across the water. I start stretching while I have a quick cigarette. I know, ironic right? Guy gets up early to go running and has a pre-work out smoke. Seems a little counterproductive, but it's what I do. My foster dad is a doctor and hates the fact that I smoke, so I try to do it as little as often when I'm around the house. Otherwise he'd be on my ass about it all day. "Edward, you smell like smoke….Do you have any idea what that's doing to your lungs?...Don't you care that you're hurting everyone around you?"

I take one last drag and flick it down on the ground before starting off. I run down the beach, just close enough for the waves to barely touch my feet. It is completely deserted, just how I like it. I'm not much of a people person. I have friends, it's not like I'm one of those kids that always sit alone at lunch. But I've always felt so claustrophobic around people. Like I can't breathe.

Part of it stems from my childhood, bouncing around from house to house, never truly feeling secure or settled. And part of it is the whole clusterfuck of high school. Everyone is screwing everyone else, literally and figuratively. The jocks are just as insecure as the nerds and the popular girls sit around talking about everything they ate that day. Nobody is real. Nobody. Not even me. I play through the motions, pretend to fit in. What a joke.

It was all coming to an end soon, but not soon enough for me. I have two countdowns. One until I graduate high school. And another when I turn 18 and am no longer considered a ward of the state.

I turn the corner and slow to a walk, trying to catch my breath. I pace around in circles, attempting to clear my head. It's never an easy task.

I glance down and notice a single shoe lying idly by the edge of the water. It's not unusual to spot things out of place on the beach, but something about this feels different.

I bend down and pick it up. Definitely a chick's sneaker. Or a guy with the smallest feet I've ever seen.

There are large indentations in the sand, leading towards the edge of the forest. Almost like something or someone was dragged or pulled through it. My breath hitches in my throat when I see another shoe, identical to the first one, nestled just inside the trees.

"Shit…" I whisper. I look around the still deserted beach and slowly start towards the trees. "Hello?" I call out. "Is anyone there?"

I peer into the dark forest and look around. I don't see anyone. Maybe the shoes are just the remnants of someone's midnight swim. It wouldn't be the first time.

I take a few more steps into the woods and that's when I see her. Curled up on the ground, pale as all hell and sopping wet.

"Hey," I bend down and shake her. She doesn't move. "Hey are you okay?" I brush her clingy brown hair away from her face and freeze. Behind her pallid skin and blue lips she's beautiful. My heart almost aches seeing her like this. I have no idea who she is, but she is definitely not okay.

"Okay Edward….think," I mumble to myself. I lean down, placing my ear next to her mouth to see if she's breathing. I hear slow, raspy, shallow breaths escaping her lips. I don't know if I should move her or what the hell to do, so I run back to my car to call Carlisle.

"Hello?" He answers.

"Carlisle," I say, trying to hide the panic in my voice.

"Edward? What's wrong?"

"I found…a girl. In the woods by First Beach. I think she was in the water and she isn't moving or talking and I don't know…I don't know what to do."

"Okay is she breathing?"

"Yes. She's really pale."

"I'm on my way. I'll call an ambulance to meet me there. Now listen very carefully Edward, if she was in the water there's a very good chance she has hypothermia. I need to you take off any wet clothes she's wearing, do you still have that blanket in your car?"

"Yes."

"Okay I want you to wrap her in that. Don't be alarmed if she starts shivering, it's the body's way of warming up. It's a good thing. I'll be there as soon as possible."

I hang up and grab the blanket from my trunk before running back to the girl. She's in the same position as before, not moved an inch. I lean down and feel along her clothes. They're all soaked. I hesitate momentarily, wondering if I could really just strip this girl down in the middle of the woods. I shake my head and lift her slightly off the ground as I pull her shirt over her head. I lay the blanket down underneath her and sit her back down. My fingers fumble with the button on her jeans. It would have been funny if the situation were different. I've never had any problem getting into a girl's pants before now.

"Damnit," I mutter, finally getting the button. I unzip them the rest of the way and tug them down her hips and off of her legs. I carefully wrap the blanket around her and was going to set her back down, but something stops me.

"H…hold-d-d-d…m-m-m-e." She mumbles, almost incoherent as her teeth start to chatter. Her eyes are still closed and half of me wonders if she has any idea where she is or who I am.

"Okay," I whisper, pulling her towards me. She rests her head against my chest as I wrap my arms around her. "Okay," I repeat. Her body eventually starts shivering, just like Carlisle had said. I only hold her tighter, hoping that they will be here soon. I rest my chin on top of her head and look around.

"Edward!" Carlisle's voice echoes.

"Carlisle!" I yell back. "Over here!"

I finally see him, along with a couple of EMT workers, step into sight.

"There!" Carlisle starts running towards us. He bends down and starts assessing her immediately.

"She started shivering a few minutes ago. That's a good thing right?" I ask.

"Yes, it's a good thing." Carlisle reaches under the blanket and takes her wrist, I assume to check her pulse. "Slow but still there. Has she said anything?"

I shake my head and look down, thinking that her stuttered words are probably not that relevant.

"Okay, we need to get her to the hospital. Boys!" He waves the EMTs over. They carry a board with them, which I assume was to carry her. They lay the board down beside us and I lean over to lay her down.

"She won't let go Carlisle…" I try gently shaking her off, but her fingers are clasped onto my shirt.

"Okay…" He says. "Can you carry her back?"

"Yeah." I nod and struggle to stand up. Once I'm sturdy it's easy as pie. I maneuver my way over the rocks and logs, making my way back to the parking lot.

"We'll drive her, meet us at the hospital." Carlisle waves to the EMTs and opens the back seat of his car for me. I slip inside and adjust her body across my lap.

The drive to the hospital is void of any conversation. When we get there I carry her inside and Carlisle leads me to a bed. I sit down with her and glance down at her fingers. They are still grasping at my shirt, holding on for dear life. I wonder if she'll ever let go.

We sit there for a while as the nurses and doctor's work around me, checking her vitals and shit. I eventually feel her fingers start to loosen, her hand sliding lazily down to her lap. She starts mumbling a little bit, but I can't understand a damn word she's saying.

"Okay, Edward, see if you can lay her down now," Carlisle says. I get up and gently lay her on the bed with little effort. I step back and run my fingers through my hair.

"Thanks, Edward. Emmett is on his way to pick you up." He pats my shoulder and I step outside of the room.

Emmett's Jeep pulls up outside a few minutes later and I hop in. "What the fuck happened?" He asks.

"Not my typical morning run to say the least."

"Mom's freaking the hell out. Just be prepared." He's the only one that calls her Mom. Of course he's been with them since he was five years old, so I guess it makes sense. " I dropped Jasper off down at the beach to get your car."

We drive home and Esme...or Mom as Emmett calls her, is standing out on the porch, pacing back and forth.

"Honey, are you okay?" She asks as soon as I get out of the car.

"I'm fine, Esme. I just want to go back to sleep." What I really want is a fucking cigarette. I'm a nervous wreck and I need something to calm my nerves. I dart upstairs and to the bathroom, cracking the window a little bit as I pull out my cigarettes, all too anxious to have one. I sigh as I take a drag and tell myself to relax.

I rub my hand across my forehead, trying to shake off this morning. I don't know how long I've been sitting here, but it's long enough to smoke three cigarettes. I'm not that much of a chain smoker but this shit's intense.

I choke when I hear Esme outside.

"Edward, are you okay?" She knocks on the door. She's a kind woman, always welcoming and warm. I wish my own mother could have been like that. Not some cold, heartless bitch that chose drugs over her own son.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say, blowing the rest of my smoke out. I throw the cigarette outside and close the window before spraying some air freshener. I know she knows anyway, but I still want to cover my tracks.

"Carlisle?" Esme says, answering the blaring phone as I dart from the bathroom to my room. It's not even late afternoon yet, but it's not too early to go to bed, especially after the day I just had. "How is she?"

I close the door and lay down on my bed, throwing the covers over me and willing sleep to find me. I can barely hear Esme talking out in the hallway.

"Oh!" She gasps. "That's so terrible. Nothing?" I close my eyes and slowly fall asleep, her voice just a soft whisper in the background. "Well that's nice of him to take her in, you know we don't have anymore room..."

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**A/N: Welcome to Something For the Rest of Us! This author's note will be longer than usual, but I figure it's best to include general info all in one place so please stick with me.**

**Find me on:**

**Facebook- Mandy Leigh**

**Twitter - MandyLeigh010 (FF)**

** AmandaLeigh1123 (RL)**

**Chapters will be posted a few times a week, although I don't have a set schedule. All chapters will be between 1000-2000 words roughly.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated, but not expected :)**

**Thank you to Joey WitchyVampGirl Masen for her help and consultation for topics covering the social work field. Also huge thank you to my pre-readers ImHereToReview and BonesyBabe who led me back from the ledge of posting this story before I was finished with it. **

**Please keep in mind that this is fiction, not a news report. As an author, I have created a world and characters of fiction that I hope you can love, laugh, and cry with and although I strive to make it realistic, it is fiction. All publicly recognized characters and settings belong to S.M. but I have worked incredibly hard in developing this plot so please do not steal, or repost without my permission.**

**Disclaimer: If you're looking for a story loaded with smut, this is not it. This is not to say there will not be sexual situations, but this is so far from being that kind of story that I refused to just add smut in for the sake of having it.**

**Last, but certainly not least, my playlist for this story:**

**Pardon Me by Incubus, Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran, Jump into the Fog by the Wombats, Lazy Eye by the Silversun Pickups, Bloodstream by Stateless, Go Your Own Way by Lissie, Little Things by One Direction, It's Time by the Imagine Dragons and Epiphany by Staind. **

**I'm so happy to share this with you and I hope you enjoy the story! Thank you for reading!**

**M**


	2. Chapter 2

"Mr. Masen, I thought we had an agreement. I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon. Especially with that little heroic act a couple of weeks ago. I thought maybe you were turning a new leaf." My social worker, Demetri, leans back in his chair as he types away at his computer.

"You know I just can't stay away, D." I slink down into the plush chair in front of his desk and put my feet up.

"You missed school again."

"I didn't see the need to go and listen to some dull dickhead mumble on about the Civil War."

Demetri fights a smile. "You've got Mr. Hall for American History."

"So you understand my need for a mental health day, then?" I smirk and grab a piece of candy from his bowl.

I've been meeting with him since I was thirteen years old, when I was first placed here in Forks. After four years, I'm starting to reach my stay limit. It's the longest I've been in one place since I was thrown into the system. I have a bad habit of running away when I get bored or things got too tough, marked as a serial runaway. They call it a defense mechanism. I call it an allergy to bullshit.

"Listen, Edward. You've got a real good thing going with Carlisle Cullen. He's like the Daddy Warbucks of foster parents. Don't mess it up."

The door behind us opens, forcing a gust of wind through the entire office. A stack of papers on Demetri's desk fly off and despite my growing irritation for having to come here whenever I go against the rules, I bend down to pick them up.

Something catches my eye in the background. Someone. A girl. The girl. The one I pulled from the woods last week.

Her face is covered by the hood of her jacket and all I can see is a cascade of brown curls that fall down the front of her chest. One of the other social workers escorts her to her desk and pulls out the chair for her to sit down. She does. Then she pulls her knees up to her chest and locks her arms around them.

"Any news?" I ask Demetri, nodding back towards her.

"She won't tell us anything but her first name. Says she doesn't remember who she is."

"That's...awful." My brow furrows. "I hear Charlie Swan's taking her in?"

"Yeah. He's been wanting to foster since his kid died. He's got the extra room and all. Plus he's the chief of police. I guess he figures no one can pull one over on him."

I laugh. I've pulled more over on that man than he'd care to know.

Demetri glances at the clock and raises an eyebrow. "By the looks of it, you've rolled over into 4th period. I suggest you get up there before your entire day is a wash. Go get some education, kid."

"Yeah, yeah." I push up and jokingly flip him off. He laughs and goes back to his computer.

The girl is still sitting at the other desk, her head buried down into her knees. I'm glad to see that she appears to be feeling better, although I wouldn't be able to tell from her face. I still haven't seen it since it was blue and lifeless.

I clear my throat as I pass by and pause. "Hello," I say. Her head tilts my way, but she doesn't look up. "I..."

Her social worker steps between us and gives me the eye. I roll my eyes and continue on my way, dreading spending the rest of the day in school.

I slip easily into school between lunch and 5th hour and find myself wandering through the crowded halls. I spot Alice and Emmett, the other Cullen fosters, down the hall with their significant others.

"Edward!" Emmett calls. I head over and grab my books out of my locker. "Where have you been all day? You weren't in English."

"Yeah I wasn't in History or Shop either." I slam my locker shut and lean back against it.

"You missed a pop quiz," Alice says. "You know Mr. Hall won't let you make it up."

"I'm passing that class with flying colors, one quiz isn't going to break me." My fingers dig for a toothpick in my coat pocket and I stick it between my teeth. "He can't fail me just because he doesn't like me."

"I think hates you might be a better way of putting it." Alice rolls her eyes and takes off with Jasper towards her next class.

I laugh, holding the toothpick firmly between my lips. "Guess I won't be getting student of the month anytime soon."

A hard punch hits my shoulder. I whip around and find Rose glaring at me.

"Don't be such a dick," she snaps.

"I'm not a dick." I smile.

The bell rings, signaling the start of 5th period. The crowd departs, and I quickly scurry into my classroom a moment before Mr. Taylor closes the door.

"Almost late again, Mr. Masen," he mumbles.

"You know I wouldn't miss it for the world. Biology is my favorite class," I say, my voice flooded with sarcasm.

My feet carry me across the front of the classroom and I glance up, expecting to see my table empty like it always was. I stop, seeing that the second seat is occupied.

"We have a new student, everyone," Mr. Taylor says. "Her name is Isabella, so please introduce yourself and show her some hospitality."

Isabella. Hm. I glance her way as I slide into the seat beside her. She avoids my stare, her face still covered by her hood just like it was at the office earlier. Doesn't she recognize me? I mean I am the person who saved her fucking life, she can at least acknowledge my presence.

Mr. Taylor hands out a video work sheet to each of us before pulling the ancient TV set towards the middle of the room. Before he dims the lights, I see her hand reach out over the desk and write her name down at the top. Isabella. She pauses, and after a long moment of hesitation, she sets her pencil back down.

I scribble my name down on my worksheet as Mr. Taylor lowers the lights and starts the movie. Something about different relationships in nature. I'm noy paying attention. I've already read it all in the book. I'm more interested in her, the mysterious stranger beside me.

I lean towards my table partner and whisper her name. "Isabella." She doesn't move. I try again. "Isabella."

"Leave me alone, please," she mumbles, scooting her chair farther away and pushing her worksheet as far from my eyes as possible. She thinks I'm trying to cheat off her. Talk about a cold shoulder.

"Fine," I scoff.

I eye her book sitting between us, so I grab it and scribble something on the first page.

_I'm not trying to cheat off of you._

She glances down at it before answering me.

_They're going to charge me for that, asshole._

Even though she's irritating and hostile, I laugh before making a conscious decision to leave her alone. For now.

I squint at the worksheet, wondering why the hell teachers always give us these things and expect us to do them in the dark. After I write down all of the answers, I flip my sheet over and close my eyes, hoping to catch a few minutes of sleep before class ends.

The bell jolts me awake. Everyone is standing up from their desks and turning in their worksheets on Mr. Taylor's desk. I gather my things and notice Isabella is lingering behind. She's staring down at her worksheet, at the name spot where her last name should be.

A pang of sympathy shoots through me. She doesn't know her last name. That has to be rough.

She follows me up to Mr. Taylor's desk and I slap my finished worksheet down on the pile. She stares at it for a second, I assume trying to figure out how I knew all of the answers when I slept through the whole movie. She sighs, laying her paper on top of mine.

I open my mouth to speak, but she rushes out of the room, gone before I can say a single word.

The last hour of the day is gym and I spend it running around the track while everyone else sits in circles pretending to stretch. Most people ironically see gym as the goof off hour. I see it as another opportunity to get a run in.

I shower after class and head out to the parking lot, ready to get home and snack on those cookies Esme made last night. The lot is mostly empty from kids anxiously speeding out of here the moment the final bell rang. Stray cars belong to teachers, athletes and band members. Mine sits towards the front.

I throw my bag over my shoulder and flip my keys around my fingers. As I pass the tree before the concrete starts, I spot her sitting at the base. All alone. I know none of these cars are hers and I wonder if she missed the bus or something.

"Hey, you need a ride?" I ask. She acts like she doesn't hear me. "Hey, Isabella. You. Sitting by the tree." She finally looks up. "Do you need a ride?"

"No, thank you," she says. "Charlie's pulling in now." She stands and goes to stand at the curb. I spot Charlie's police cruiser pulling into the parking lot so I shrug it off and start towards my car. I look back just before I get there and see her open the passenger door as he pulls up.

When she pushes her hood off, my breath hitches in my throat. Color. She's got color in her cheeks, not the pale blue tint I'd seen in the woods. Even from here I can see her dark eyes. They're staring at me as she slips into Charlie's car. I can't tell if it's hate or something else behind them, but I decide at that moment that next time I find an unconscious girl in the woods I'm leaving her there. Maybe. Okay, not really. But this girl is something else.

I get into my car, deciding to give her a mulligan because of the whole memory loss issue, and head home, already salivating over those damn cookies.

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**A/N: I normally won't be updating back to back like this, but I am leaving for Disney World on 3/6 and will be gone until 3/10, plus I'll be busy before getting ready so I wanted to get one more update up before I'm gone. Thank you so much for all of your reviews, you guys are so good to me! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

I spot Isabella in the hallway the next morning. She holds her books close to her chest with her head down watching her feet as they carry her to her first class. Everyone watches her, clearing a path in the middle of the hall for the new girl. They whisper and stare and despite our interactions yesterday, it still pisses me off. She pretends not to hear of course, but I know she does. People in this place aren't discreet.

"Hey, Amy!" One of the guys standing by the door calls to her. She doesn't look up. Obviously. That isn't her fucking name.

I lean back against my locker and chew on the end of my pen.

"Amy!" He calls again. I recognize him. James. He's an asshole. And that was a lot coming from me.

Isabella finally looks up, only slightly, and shakes her head.

"You're Amy, right?" He asks, smiling as his friends laugh behind him.

"No," she says. "My name is Isabella."

"Naw...I'm sure your name is Amy. Amy Nesia? Right?" He snickers and turns back to his friends for encouragement.

"Christ," I mumble, kicking off from my locker and moving between them. "Why don't you lay off it?" I tell him.

"Aw. Masen to the rescue." He puffs his chest out like he's a damn monkey and shoves me. I fall back into Isabella and her books scatter across the floor.

"Run along, dick," I snap at him, bending down to help her pick up her books. My hand brushes against hers and she draws it back sharply.

"Don't pay attention to him. He has a quota of stupid things to say everyday. You just happened to be the one to help him reach it." I hold onto the book and stand. She follows suit, refusing to look at me. I place the final book on top of her stack and smile.

"Thank you," she says. "And not just for today." She glances up at me with a discreet stare and I realize she knows I'm the one who pulled her out of those woods.

"When did you..."

"Charlie told me last night that it was you." She swallows hard. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She looks anxiously down the hallway, cowering away from the stares. "Look, I appreciate everything you've done, but my goal here is to just be invisible. I'm not looking for attention or friends or...anything. I just want to disappear."

"Why?" I ask. "Don't you want to know...don't you want to remember who you are?"

She stares at me for a long moment before darting into the classroom without another word. And for some reason, I follow her.

I stumble into the classroom and quickly grab a seat right behind her. She pulls out her things, laying all of them on her desk. Mrs. Haynes steps up to the board and starts her lecture.

"Listen," I whisper. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you're going through this shitty thing and you don't know anyone...you don't know me. You don't know you. I can't even imagine what that's like. I have no idea what you're going through, but you don't have to be so-"

"You're right. You have no idea what I'm going through." She whips her head around and glares at me.

"Mr. Masen, am I interrupting?" Mrs. Haynes says.

"Yes," I say, sighing.

"I apologize, I must have had the crazy idea that this was my class. Now get out of here, this isn't even your first hour." She waves me off and I reluctantly stand. Isabella's cheeks are flushed as I pass her and exit the room.

I walk into shop class about a half hour late and Mr. Martin doesn't say a word. My woodworking project waits for me on my shelf, so I grab it and immediately get to work.

My station sits next to Jasper's, Alice's boyfriend. She's a special girl, Alice. Carlisle and Esme took her in after getting tossed around a few foster homes. Like me. Except unlike me, Alice was never the one to run. No one understood her. They thought she was strange, the way she carries around her tarot cards and refuses to take off the crystal she wears around her neck. She claims her mother was a fortune teller and she traveled with a circus for the first seven years of her life, but no one can find any trace of it or her mother. They found her sitting by the side of the road one day, flipping her cards over and over. She's been with the Cullens a little over four years now and she says she feels settled.

Isn't that all we ever want? Foster kids, I mean. To be settled. To be loved. To feel like you aren't some fucking outcast living in someone else's home. It was all we would ever want.

"So, what's the deal with you and the new girl?" Jaspers asks, making a few marks on his piece.

"There's no deal." I shrug.

"You saved her life though, right?"

"I guess."

"What's her story?" He asks.

"Nobody knows. She doesn't even know."

"She has to belong somewhere, Edward. There isn't a local missing persons ad, nothing?"

"Carlisle said that Charlie's put out a ton of notices with other local police stations and hospitals, but nothing as of yet. It's like she just showed up in the middle of nowhere. No family. No history."

"Definitely not something that happens everyday in Forks, eh?" He nudges my arm and goes back to work.

"Definitely not," I whisper.

I barely get any work done and set my project back on the shelf a moment before the bell rings. I spend the rest of my day forcing myself to stay awake during class and going through the motions to please every one in this place. By the time I reach Biology, I'm a little on edge and in a hurry to get the day over with.

"Two minutes early today, Mr. Masen. It must be a miracle," Mr. Taylor says.

"I have been known to perform one or two." I pass his desk and step down the aisle.

Isabella glances up from her seat and watches me sit down beside her.

Since she doesn't seem to be big on communication, I just stare at her until she looks away. She shifts uncomfortably and scoots her seat a little farther away. I smirk because despite my irritation, her attitude entertains me right now.

"I'm sorry, was I too close?" I ask, pushing my things to the far edge of the table.

She rolls her eyes and I can't help but notice her ability for sarcasm with her brain so under the weather.

"Okay, people," Mr. Taylor says. "It's biology paper time. Now before you go picking your own partners, I've taken the liberty to assign them for you." The class groans. "Now, now. Don't get too excited. Out in the real world, you don't always get to choose who you work with, whether you like them or not."

I start to doodle on my paper.

"So turn to the person you're sitting next to right now and say hello to your partner."

"Fuck." I slam my pencil down.

"Shit," Isabella whispers.

"Get to work on picking a topic and brainstorming ideas. Keep in mind that this project accounts for 30% of your final grade so do not wait until the last minute," Mr. Taylor says, handing out the criteria and important dates.

"Mr. Taylor," I mumble, motioning for him to come over.

"Yes, Mr. Masen," he sighs.

"Listen, Teach. The thing is that we have no idea how long this girl is going to be here and to be honest, I have no history of her academic performance which I think puts me at a very unfair advantage and I think its unethical to force us to be partners...sir." I swallow hard. The girl obviously doesn't like me so I see no way that this can possibly work. At all.

"Isabella deserves to get the same education and attention as any other student in this school as long as she is still here. If she happens to leave us before the end of the term, I will take that into consideration when I determine your final grade." He nods. "Now get to it."

I glance around and see that everyone else has started to work. Isabella is staring at me with a mixture of what I can only perceive as hatred and disgust.

"I'm not stupid," she says.

"Fine." I pull out a piece of paper. "Let's get started."

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**A/N: This chapter coming to you directly from the Orlando Airport! :) **

**Had a great vacation, thank you for your reviews and thoughts!**

**M**


	4. Chapter 4

We sit in silence for the rest of the class while everyone else debates on their topic. The silence weighs mostly on her. Each time I even begin to form a coherent thought, her eyes dead pan at me, warning me to keep quiet. When the bell rings, Isabella shoots out of her chair and is gone in an instant. And for some reason, it pisses me off.

I wait in my car after school and watch her sit by that same tree near the parking lot. Charlie's late again. She sees me, but acts like she doesn't of course. This girl is impossible. You'd think after what she'd been through, she'd want a friend. Not even a friend, just…someone. She seems to be completely alone and she likes it that way.

When I spot Charlie pulling in, I get out of my car and start towards her. Her eyes widen as she grabs her bag and slings it over her shoulder.

"We're going to have to talk at some point," I say. "This paper will be impossible to finish if we don't, so can we just wave our white flags and call a truce?"

"You can do the introduction and first two pages. I'll do the last two and the conclusion. It shouldn't be too hard," she says.

"We still need a topic."

"Relationships in nature." She shrugs as Charlie pulls up.

"Why are you so fucking stubborn? I mean I get that you have no idea who you are and yeah, that sucks. But you don't have to be so cold."

She opens her mouth to speak, but I interrupt her. "I understand. I know what that feels like. I've been in foster homes since I was a kid. I know what it feels like to not know where you come from or who you belong to."

Her eyes soften as Charlie honks the horn.

"Do you want to come over tonight to work on it?" She asks.

I'm stunned.

"7:30 okay?" She asks, opening the car door. I nod as she slips inside and closes the door.

When I get home, Emmett and Rosalie are sitting on the couch playing Xbox. She tends to be here more than her own house, but I don't think Esme minds. She's used to taking care of us. All of us. Regardless of if we're her legal responsibility or not.

She's in the kitchen, already preparing dinner. I kiss the top of her head and grab a cookie from the plate beside the fridge. Even though I refuse to call her mom, she's the only person in my life that treats me like her own son. More than my biological mother did.

"We're going to go to a movie after dinner, do you want to go?" Esme asks.

"No, thanks. I have a paper to work on at Chief Swan's house. Isabella is my partner." I take a bite and pull myself up onto the counter.

"Oh, wonderful. That girl could use a friend, Edward. Good for you."

"Well, we didn't pick our partners." I shrug.

"The world works in mysterious ways. I have a feeling you're just who she needs in her life right now."

"Why?" I scoff. "I'm no one special."

She turns and smiles, resting her hands on my cheeks. "You are more than special, Edward. You're funny and smart…and you're a little shit sometimes." She narrows her eyes. "Don't think I can't smell you smoking in the bathroom. Tell Les at the gas station to stop selling you those wretched things. He knows you aren't old enough." She leans in to kiss my cheek. "But despite that horrible habit, you have the kindest, bravest, most loving heart, Edward. Don't forget that."

"Thanks, Esme." I smile as she goes back to making dinner. "What time?"

"Dinner's at five," she answers.

"Okay."

I join Rose and Emmett in a few rounds on the Xbox before heading upstairs to shower before dinner. I smoke another cigarette after I get out, even though Esme just scolded me for sneaking around.

Carlisle gets home right before Esme puts dinner on the table. Some type of casserole that I take three platefuls of.

"Honey, Edward is going to hook up with that Isabella girl," Esme says.

I drop my fork. It clangs against my empty plate.

"Hang out, Mom," Emmett says. "Not hook up."

"Oh!" Esme gasps. "Right. Hang out. Hook up is the other thing."

"Right," Emmett says, nodding. I try to hide my embarrassment, even though they all probably know I'm not a virgin. She's found a condom wrapper or two when she lugs my laundry out of my room.

"Well that's wonderful. I'm just glad Charlie enrolled her in school. It was a little difficult seeing as we don't have any identification or records, but she should really try to get back to a routine. To a normal life. Hiding away from the world isn't going to help her condition." Carlisle nods and grabs all of our plates.

"It's just for class," I murmur.

"Doesn't matter what it's for. It's something." He smiles and takes the dishes into the kitchen.

After everyone leaves for the movie, I head upstairs and grab all of my school stuff. Paper. Biology book. Pens. Laptop. Good to go. I hop in my car and head to the Chief's house.

I park on the street and look up at the house. I spot Isabella sitting at a desk at the window upstairs, typing away at a computer. She glances down when I close my car door and instantly stands, disappearing from sight. I walk down their sidewalk and up the steps, reaching the door a moment before it opens.

"Hi," Isabella says.

"Hi." I smile.

"I realized too late that I forgot to tell you where I live. Charlie assured me you wouldn't have a problem finding it."

"He busted me for shoplifting once and brought me here instead of the police station so he could call Carlisle to come get me. Not before he chewed me out for being such a dick, but it stuck."

"The no shoplifting or not being a dick?" She asks.

Charlie clears his throat and I spot him in the background, sitting in his recliner with a beer and today's paper.

"Hello, Edward," he says.

"Chief." I wave and step inside.

"My room is upstairs," she says, pointing up. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"I'll have what he's having." I nod to Charlie. Her face wrinkles. "Just kidding."

Charlie clears his throat again and stands, folding up the paper and throwing it away. "I'll just be down here watching the game." He sticks his hands in his pockets. "Right here," he emphasizes. The bastard still doesn't trust me. Can't say I blame him, but I'm not going to make a move on her while he's here. Well I'm not going to make a move period, but definitely not while he's here. It's not rocket science to know not to piss someone off who regularly carries a gun.

Isabella starts up the stairs and looks back, waiting for me to follow. I oblige and head up, staying a few steps behind her. She turns at the top and immediately goes into the first room on the left.

The room is small, occupied only by a bed and a desk. There's no decorations or pictures or other mementos you'd usually find in a teenage girl's room. Her closet door is open and I spot three, maybe four plain shirts and a pair of tennis shoes.

"I like what you've done with the place," I say.

"Oh," Isabella says. "I didn't want Charlie to spend any more money on me." She crosses her arms over her chest. "He got me just a few clothes and things. The computer is ancient, but it does its job."

"Why wouldn't you want him to buy you things? He's supposed to take care of you." I set my bag down and help myself to a seat on the edge of her bed.

"I don't need much. I don't want to be a bother to him. Besides, I probably won't be here long."

"Got a good feeling about the noggin?" I point to my head.

"Yeah, something like that." She sits at her desk again and pulls out her Biology book. "So I was thinking we could talk about the different types of relationships and cite examples, pros and cons of each?" She flips through her book and looks up when I don't respond.

"Is that okay?" She asks.

"Sounds good to me." I pull out my book, paper and pen. "I'll start outlining some examples."

"Okay, I can do some research." She types my name and hers on the top of her word document. Except instead of leaving her last name blank, she puts "unknown" instead.

We work for an hour with nothing but the sound of her typing and the scratch of my pencil in the background. When I realize she's stopped, I glance at her desk and find her watching me.

"I didn't know you were a foster kid," she says. She looks like she wants to say more, but doesn't.

"It's okay, you can ask me anything you want. It's not much of a secret."

"How long have you been with the Cullens?" She turns herself around in the chair to face me and rests her chin on the top.

"A few years now. I've been in the system since I was about seven, but changed homes almost every year."

"Why?"

"Because nobody wanted to keep me." I shrug. "Things happen. People realize fostering isn't all it's cracked up to be. And I'm sure I didn't make it any easier on them. I had a terrible habit of running away when things got tough."

"I don't think anyone can blame you for that," she says. "I mean, growing up like that has got to be tough. It wasn't your fault that your parents..."

"Went to prison," I finish her sentence. I look down at my hands and shake my head. "Got mixed up in drugs and bad groups of people. Both of my grandparents were dead and I had no one else. So they threw me into the system and that was that."

"That's so terrible."

"Eh, it's not so bad. Emmett's parents died in a car accident and Alice has no idea where her mother is. At least I have a direction to throw my resentment."

"But the Cullens are good to you?"

"More than good. They took care of me better than any one of my foster families. Even said they'll pay for me to go to college. That's after I'm 18, so I couldn't ask for anything better. But this life...the moving and loss of who you are...it's nothing I would want for anyone."

"That makes sense." She sighs and goes back to work. I glance around the room again and feel a rush of sadness over how bare it is. This doesn't show who she is either. And even if she doesn't quite know who that is right now, and even if she's here only for a little while, I know that it matters. I'm the king of "a little while" and every one needs a space they can call their own.

There's a knock on her door and Charlie peeks his head in. "It's getting late." He raises his eyebrows and that's my cue to leave.

"Got it." I pack up my things and start out the door. "Hey," I turn back around. "What's your favorite color?"

"What?" She asks.

"Your favorite color. Pick one."

"Purple."

I smile, but only a little bit. "I'll see you tomorrow." As I leave, I decide on a plan. I'm going to buy Isabella Unknown a present.

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**A/N: I felt productive today so I decided to post another chapter. And plus, I know you were all waiting for a little more interaction that didn't include them fighting :) What an adorable, little shit Edward is.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Purple, purple, purple," I say, scanning the very small home good section of the store the next morning before school. I rake my fingers through my hair and amble down the aisle, hoping something catches my eye.

"Looking for something, sir?" One of the employees asks.

"Uh...yeah." I nod. "I need something for a girl. A friend."

"A girlfriend?" She smiles.

"No, no. Just a friend. See she's new in town and her room looks like a hospital room and it's just...she likes purple."

"I understand." She shuffles down a few steps and reaches up, grabbing a beautiful windchime from a shelf above. There are pipes of various links hanging down in a circle and on the end of each one is a purple crystal, each a different shade. "How about this?"

I study it. Could be nice. Maybe not make everything so quiet in there.

And it is...pretty. I guess.

"I'll take it." I thank her and head up to the front to pay before speeding to Charlie's. I'm hoping to catch her before they leave. I sure as Hell wasn't giving this to her at school in front of everyone. Like I said...it's pretty. I don't do pretty.

Charlie's car is still out front when I pull up, so they must still be here. I park my car and storm up his front steps, ready to knock. As soon as I raise my hand, the door swings open and Isabella nearly runs into me.

"Hi," I breathe.

"What are you doing here?" She says, her eyes wide.

"I just uh...I..."

"What?"

_I got you a present. _It's not that hard to say, idiot. Just say it. "This is for you," I say, handing the plastic bag to her. She takes it and looks inside, cocking her eyebrow.

"A wind chime?"

"For your room. I thought it could use a little something, you know?"

"Wow." She nods. "Thank you. That was really nice."

"You're welcome."

"You ready to go?" Charlie hollers from inside. He steps into the hallway

and puts on his jacket. "Edward?"

"Hey, Chief." I wave.

"I didn't know you could function this early, what are you doing here?"

"Just dropping off something for Isabella." I shove my hands into my pockets.

"He got me a gift." A small smile plays upon her lips before disappearing a moment later.

"How lovely," Chief says, his voice thick with sarcasm. "Ready to go?"

"Well I can take her, sir. If you'd like." I glance back at my car. "I'm already here. I can save you a trip."

He narrows his eyes at me.

"I'm an excellent driver," I say.

"Okay, Rainman," Bella jokes.

"I see we've got a comedienne here, huh?" I smile. "You know, I can always bring her home after school. It wouldn't be any trouble at all. It's practically on my way home."

"Don't push it, Masen." Charlie growls.

"Fine." I throw my hands up.

"Have a good day, Charlie," Isabella says, setting the wind chime inside before starting towards my car.

"I don't like this. I don't like this one bit," Charlie mutters, stumbling towards his car.

When he's gone, Isabella hops into my passenger seat and waits for me.

As I watch her, I start to wonder what the hell I'm doing with this girl. I'm not this guy. I'm not a nice guy. Am I?

I slip inside and start the car, turning the radio up loud as we start towards school. I can tell she's watching me, so I speed up, starting to feel uneasy about the whole thing.

She's perfectly fine without my interference, so what is all this? The presents, the offers for rides, everything. _She wouldn't have been perfectly fine without your interference in the woods, Edward._ Maybe that's it. Maybe I feel responsible for her because I was the first one to find her. She was mine. And she'd wanted me to hold her, even if she doesn't remember it now. Me. That's a logical explanation for this feeling right? This feeling of responsibility for her? It has to be.

"Edward?" Isabella asks. I shake out of my contemplation and realize she's turned the radio completely off.

"What?"

"I asked you what was up with the nice guy routine?" She leans back into the seat.

"I am a nice guy."

"Not from what I hear."

I narrow my eyes at her. "And what do you hear?"

"You skip school a lot. On the edge of getting in trouble with your case worker on a normal basis. You seem to do well in all of your classes even though you seem not to give a shit. All of the girls at school completely fawn over your bad boy routine and you oblige them, flirt, and fuck some of them just because you can."

"Charlie tell you all this?" I stutter.

"No. Jessica Stanley sits behind me in my first hour. She was all too eager to tell me about the guy who had saved my life, whether or not I cared to hear it or not."

_Jessica. Fucking. Stanley._ Forks' High resident gossip hound. Not that most of that stuff she said about me isn't true...okay it's all true. But she crossed a line telling Isabella about it when it was none of her damn business.

"She tell you about her tryst with one of the student teachers last year in her informative monologue?" I ask. "Or how I actually told her to fuck off when she tried to get me to go down on her at a party last summer. I'm not a fucking sex addict."

"No."

"Of course not. She's a spoiled brat who gets pissy when she doesn't get what she wants." I sigh and pull into the school parking lot.

"And she wanted you?" Isabella asks.

I don't answer. I pull into a spot, fuming from the smell of the shit coming from Jessica's mouth.

I get out of the car and spot her and her group of minions standing by the school entrance. My backpack hangs over my shoulder as I stroll across the lot. Isabella catches up to me about ten steps away from the door and grabs my arm.

"Hey!" She says. She swallows hard and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. "Listen, I just need to know if I can trust you or not?"

I try to tell her yes. I want to tell her yes. But the truth slips out instead. "I don't know."

Her eyes go cold, searching mine for the longest time. I have to look away because I don't know what else to do or say.

She storms away, gone in an instant before I even have the opportunity to attempt to redeem myself. Jessica laughs in the background, cackling like a rabid hyena.

"Really blew that one, eh Masen?" She calls as Isabella passes her.

"Like you blew Mr. Tyson? How did that 'A' taste?" I sigh and amble towards the door. "Keep your mouth out of my fucking business."

"Worried I scared off your latest plaything, Edward?"

"Routine is getting old, Jess. Find a new one." I slam the door and stomp inside, knowing that today is going to suck.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for those reading and reviewing and rec'ing this story. I'm so happy to share it with you.**

**For any new readers, I'd love to let you know about my journey to get my original fiction published. You can "like" The Guardian Series on Facebook or find my blog at www . amandaleighbooks . wordpress . com**


	6. Chapter 6

I search for Isabella during lunch. I know she has to be here. Somewhere.

"Edward?" Emmett snaps his fingers in front of my face and I blink out of my stupor. "What's your deal today?"

"Nothing." I take a sip of my water. "I didn't sleep well last night." I do one last scan of the room as the bell rings.

Everyone starts filing out like a herd of fucking cattle, rushing to their next class. I'll see her then.

I spot someone outside of the cafeteria, walking along the sidewalk from around the corner of the building. Isabella has a pair of headphones stuck in her ears as she peers through the window at us. I stop and watch her as she continues along the sidewalk, slipping silently back into the cafeteria without anyone noticing. Well anyone, but me. Where was she at this whole time?

She ends up ahead of me in the hallway and I follow a few steps behind. She heads into Biology and I do the same moments later. We both grab a worksheet from the front table and take a seat beside each other. I see her switch off a Walk Man and pull her headphones out, wrapping them around the ancient music player and stuffing it into her bag.

I laugh under my breath.

"What's your problem?" She asks.

"I thought all of those were showcased in museums now. Ancient history." I nod to her Walk Man.

"It was all Charlie had." She bit her lip. "He's not really into the whole technology thing. He was just trying to be nice and give me something of my own."

"So where were you at lunch? I looked for you." I tap my pencil against our table and she averts her eyes.

"I was there. You must not have looked very hard."

I don't press her, but I know that she wasn't there. I know it.

"We'll need to get some pictures taken for our paper. Are you free tonight?" She asks, changing the subject.

"Yeah. We can go in the woods behind my house. You wanna just ride home with me after school? I can take you back to Charlie's later."

"I can't." She purses her lips. "Charlie's excited about taking me to the diner for dinner."

I laugh.

"What?" She asks.

"I can't decide what's more shocking. Charlie being excited about the diner or Charlie being excited in general."

The teacher steps to the front and the classroom falls silent.

She scowls and hits my shoulder. "Be nice," she whispers.

"I am very nice."

Her eyes turn to the front of class as he starts to lecture. I linger a little longer on her, finding myself completely amused again. And fascinated.

She's doing a fine job of blending in and standing out at the same time. Is she trying that hard or is it just natural to her? I can't tell.

If her story wasn't plastered all over the local papers, no one would know who she was. No one would question her or where she came from. She could be any one of us, really. She would be no one. _Except to you._

I bite my lip and quickly look as she turns towards me. She sighs, rips out a piece of paper and scribbles so hard that the person in front of us turns around and looks.

She shoves the paper in my direction and I read it.

_Did anyone ever tell you that you stare a lot?_

I laugh and take my time responding to her before I pass it back.

_Only at you._

She blushes, quickly crumples up the paper and throws it into her bag.

When class is over she stands and speaks. "I'll have Charlie drop me off after dinner."

"Sounds good."

And just like that she's gone again, scurrying off to her next class.

When school is over, I stop at the gas station to get some cigarettes before heading home. And for some reason, I'm anxious all through dinner, wondering when she'll be here. Thankfully, the sun should be up for a few more hours so we should be able to catch any examples we'll need before it gets dark.

I offer to help Esme with the dishes just to give myself something to do. She washes, I dry. It's a system that we'd perfected.

"So what are your plans for the night?" She asks, wiping down a plate.

"Isabella's coming over," I say.

"Really?" Her eyes brighten.

"We're taking pictures for our science paper."

"Oh. Well that's lovely. I'm excited to meet her."

Right on cue, there's a knock on our front door. I throw the towel over my shoulder and jog to the door, pulling it open a little too quickly.

"Hi," I say.

"Hello." Isabella stands with her backpack. She glances back at Charlie in his car and waves. He slowly heads out, still looking hesitant about leaving her here.

"He's really protective of you," I say.

"Not really. I just don't think he likes you." She smiles and slips inside. "This house is really nice."

"Thanks." I lead her through towards the back. Emmett and Alice are watching a movie in the living room. They both wave, not bothering to tear their eyes away. Esme pops her head out from the kitchen and smiles.

"Isabella!" She runs over and extends her hand. "I'm Esme. It's so nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well." Isabella shakes her hand and smiles.

"So, what are you two up to?" Esme crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe.

"Just taking some pictures." Isabella holds up a disposable camera.

"Wonderful. Well it's beautiful back there." Esme nods to the backyard.

"Take your time."

"Thanks."

"Let's go." I open up the back door and Isabella steps out onto the porch. It looks out over the trees behind our house.

"Wow," Isabella breathes.

"There's a small stream in there somewhere too." I close the door and shove my hands in my pockets as we start out.

Isabella keeps the camera out, taking a shot here and there of different relationships in nature. Everything was silent, except for the cracking of twigs beneath our feet.

"Your mom...I mean Esme...she's really nice," Isabella says, snapping a picture of a fungus growing on a tree.

"Yeah she is. They've always been real good to me. The Cullens. First ones that didn't take my bullshit, but wouldn't give up on me. I'm not sure I deserve their time."

"Why not?" She pauses and turns back.

"I told you that I didn't know if you could trust me. I don't trust myself with people, Isabella."

I'm toe to toe with her now, staring down into her eyes.

"Don't ever take the good for granted, Edward." She nods. "Not everyone is as lucky as you are."

Lucky. I've never considered myself anything close to that.

I feel something. Emotion. It's burning at the back of my throat and I want it to go away. I don't do this kind of thing. Not in front of anyone at least.

My hand snatches away her camera and I laugh, holding it up to snap her picture. She shields her face and looks away as I take a few.

"Come on. Smile," I say.

"I don't like my picture taken."

I start to chase her around, but she always stays a step ahead. "Just one."

"No."

I cut back and end up stepping right in front of her. I push the button and think I get a decent picture. My smile fades instantly the moment I feel her hands on my chest, pushing me down on the ground. Hard.

"I said no!" She screams.

I freeze, my hands above my chest as I lay in the dirt. Something changes and the moment she realizes what she's done, she's down beside me.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to," she mutters. I swear I see tears start to form behind her eyes and I'm beyond confused about what had just happened. "I'm so sorry," she repeats.

"It's okay. I'm sorry." A piece of hair falls forward, covering her eyes. I reach up and push it back, tucking it behind her ear. "I thought you were just one of those pretty girls that claim to not like their picture taken. I guess I'm just used to people putting on a show around here."

"You think I'm pretty?"

"I think you're very pretty." I smile.

She sighs and helps me up. I brush the dirt and leaves off of my back.

"I'm really sorry, again." She blushes like she's embarrassed and we continue on.

We get back to the house just as the sun dips below the trees and I can't help it. I bring it up again.

"So what happened...back there?" I ask.

"I just don't like my picture taken. I freaked out a little. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing. It's fine. I deserved it." I lean in close and lower my voice to a whisper. "Just don't tell anyone at school that you kicked my ass."

"Okay." She smiles and we head inside. I offer to drive her home so Charlie doesn't have to make an extra trip. When we pull up in front of his house, I see something hanging up in her window. The wind chime.

"Thanks for the ride," she says, opening the door.

"No problem. I'll get those pictures developed tomorrow."

She leans back in and nods. "Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight, Isabella."

She opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes out. She's struggling, fighting to close it. "Bella. You can call me Bella." She closes the door and heads up the sidewalk.

Bella. I smile because I know what this means. She trusts me.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, they are so cute!**

**Greetings from my couch. I left work early today because literally all of us were or are infected with whatever sinus plague is going around right now and I've been sleeping on my couch all afternoon. Doesn't bode well for being productive so good thing this is all ready to go for you guys :)**

**Thank you for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

For the next few weeks, Bella and I work on our paper on and off. I still miss her at lunch, even though she claims she's there...somewhere. I call bullshit on that one.

I wait for her in the hallway one day, just as the bell signals the start of lunch. She doesn't know I'm waiting for her, of course, but I wait regardless.

She steps out of her class and I hide in a doorway as she stops at her locker and puts some of her things away. She grabs Charlie's Walk Man and a brown lunch sack, along with a book that doesn't look like a textbook to me. When she leaves, I hang back a few steps, following her on the way to the cafeteria.

I expect her to dart in and find a spot in the darkest, most isolated spot in the cafeteria. Instead she swoops right by the door and I shake my head. The ladies' room is right down the hall. Has she been eating in the bathroom this whole time and just can't admit it? I feel a little bad that I bugged her so bad about it.

I'm about to abandon my stalking mission and head into the cafeteria, okay with leaving her be, but she passes the bathroom entrance and heads straight through the door that leads outside.

My brow furrows. "Where are you going, Bella?" I whisper.

I glance between the busy cafeteria and the lonely path leading to the doors Bella just went through.

"Ah, fuck it." I run my hands through my hair and follow Bella's path, past the ladies' room and out the doors. They lead to a small courtyard cut out in the center of the school. It rarely gets used, except for now apparently.

Bella sits on one of the worn down cement benches in the center of the courtyard, next to an abandoned fountain that hasn't seen water in the last twenty years. This place was beautiful once, back when Carlisle went to school here. I remember seeing it in his old yearbooks. Now, nobody cares about nature or the outside or the beauty of the silence. It's all about phones and laptops and gathering as much information as you can so your head can just overflow with data. It's nothing of meaning of course. Just an abundance of bullshit.

I spot her nibbling on a sandwich as she slips the headphones into her ears and pulls her knees up to her chest. I contemplate not bothering her. Slipping back into school without another word. Slipping back to my friends. Slipping back to normal. But the thing is...the thing is that ever since I found her in those woods, nothing has really been the same. I can't explain how or why, but something's changed. She has the answer, somewhere hidden deep inside her. Whatever that answer might be, I can't run away now.

My brain rushes through every possible greeting. One that would maybe surprise her. Or maybe help her realize I'm not the asshole she might think I am sometimes. Or maybe, just maybe something to make her think that I have her answer, whatever she's looking for. And after a few moments of serious thought, I speak.

"Is this seat taken?" I ask. She doesn't move. "Bella?" I lean forward and tap her shoulder. Before I can say anything else, she lets out a piercing

scream and grabs my hand.

"That wasn't smooth at all," I mumble.

"Edward!" She gasps, grabbing her chest. "You scared the shit out of me."

She pulls her headphones out of her ears.

"I can see that." I smile. "Do you mind?" I nod to the spot beside her and she shakes her head. "So this is where you've been sneaking off to..."

She can't fight her grin. "I don't really like the crowds."

"Because you want to be invisible," I continue.

"Exactly."

"You aren't so invisible to me." I nudge her with my elbow.

"Yeah, I'm gathering that."

"And are you okay with that?"

She contemplates for a moment before letting out a loud sigh. "Yes."

I lean back on the bench and steal one of her headphones so I can listen. She puts the other up to her ear and we sit in silence while Boston and Kansas play in the background.

"I didn't know you liked Classic Rock," I finally say. She opens up her mouth to speak, but I interrupt. "Sorry. I guess you really didn't know either, huh?"

She pauses and smiles. "Yeah. Memory loss is a bitch." I laugh. "So are we working on our paper tonight? I found some new studies online."

It's Friday. And Carlisle and Esme are going out of town for the night.

This means Emmett's having a party.

"Uh, tonight's no good. Emmett's having a shindig at our place. Carlisle and Esme are flying the coop until tomorrow so that immediately equals kegs and body shots in Emmett's mind."

"Oh." She nods and starts packing up her things. "Okay. Well, have fun."

"Yeah."

She reaches over and gently takes the headphone out of my ear with a smile.

"Hey, would you want to come? To the party?" I ask.

"I don't think that would be a good idea, Edward."

"Why not? Come on, you never do anything fun," I plead.

"How do you know what I do and don't do?"

I lean in and dare to tuck a piece of her dark hair behind her ear. "Tonight you'll go home, eat dinner with Charlie, pretend to have a barely meaningful conversation. Then you'll sit up in your room alone trying to convince yourself that you made the right decision by not coming tonight. But see, all of your excuses? They're no good. Because when it comes down to it. You like me, Bella. And the fact of the matter is, you want me around the same way I want you around." I take a deep breath and barely recognize the words rolling off my lips. "So, I'll ask you one more time. Will you come tonight?"

Her lips tremble, twitching with something between anxiety and the realization that I was right. She stands and for a moment, I think she might say yes.

"I can't, Edward."

She rushes off before I can think up another monologue. It's exhausting, this whole nice guy routine. I'll need a drink or five later.

Bella manages to avoid me for the rest of the day, which is hard considering we sit not even a foot from each other in Biology. She rushes in as the bell rings and right back out again, effectively evading any type of conversation.

Despite the fact that I barely know this girl, I feel like I know her. Like really know her. And it makes me realize that tonight is going to suck without her there.

* * *

**A/N: I obviously have a hard time holding onto chapters when I have nothing to do but sit in bed all day. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'd love to hear your theories on the next one. Do you think Bella will show up or do you think Edward will find another way to see her?**


	8. Chapter 8

**You guys were very split on what's going to happen with the party and in some way shape or form all of you were kind of right. :)**

* * *

"Hey can you go pick up some munchies for the...study group?" Emmett says, eyeing Esme as she brings down her luggage.

"Yeah." I grab my keys and open the door for Esme. She pulls her Coach bag behind her and hands Emmett some money.

"We'll be back late tomorrow. Here's some cash for pizza or whatever you want to get for your...study group, is it?" She cocks her eyebrow and I get a feeling she's not as naive as Emmett thinks she is. "Be safe." She kisses Emmett and then me on the cheek before she heads out to the car where Carlisle is waiting.

I follow them out and hop in my car to head to the store. Per Emmett's usual taste, I pick up about ten bags of chips, dip, pretzels and some mixers for the drinks.

As I head home, I can't help but glance down Bella's street, still wishing she was coming to the party. And before I can stop myself, I turn down it and come to a stop in front of the house. Maybe I could ask her just one more time. Convince her to come.

I linger outside for a good ten minutes before I get the courage to get out. Just before I get to her door, I hear her and Charlie talking, their voices floating through the open window in the front.

"What are you doing tonight?" Charlie asks.

"Nothing," Bella answers.

He sighs. "It's okay to make friends. It's okay to go out and do something other than sit in your room all the time. Your case worker said..."

"I'm fine."

"I know this hasn't been easy for you. And I know I'm a little out of practice with the whole...father figure thing."

"Charlie, you're doing fine," she protests.

"I just don't want you to hate it here," he says. "It's okay to make friends, you know."

"I don't hate it here. You have no idea how much I don't hate it here." She pauses. "And I have friends."

"Edward Masen does not count."

"Edward's nice," Bella says.

Charlie scoffs.

I can feel the tense atmosphere, but it's easy to tell that they've come to care about each other in some way despite their hesitance and somewhat awkward exchange.

_Back away, Edward. Leave them be._

I turn around and head back to my car. Emmett texts me, wondering what the hell is taking me so long. I don't bother with a response, I just hop in my car and speed towards home.

Somehow Emmett already has the kegs sitting on ice in the showers when I get home.

"How am I supposed to take a shower, asshole?" I ask, punching him in the shoulder.

"I'm sure Jessica would allow you to use hers," he teases.

I flip him off and throw his snacks at him as I start upstairs. I manage to slip into Esme's bathroom and find her bathtub has been left untouched.

Bath tub. I'm going to kill that motherfucker. I don't do bath tubs.

With a quick flip, I turn on the water and put the stopper in the drain.

Before I strip, I lock the door because I know Emmett too well. At the risk of sounding odd, he'd kill to get a picture of me taking a bath like some chick.

I bathe as quickly as possible and hop out before he gets the chance to barge in. With my towel wrapped around my waist, I head to my room and pick out some clothes for tonight. I hear Jasper and Rosalie downstairs already and it's only a matter of time before this house is completely filled with people, some I know, some I don't. A party at the Cullen household echoes for miles and miles, calling to every guy looking for a good time and every girl willing to give it to him.

I grab myself a drink and head back up into my room to ease into it before the crowd gets here. The moment I hear the bass thumping downstairs, I know that it's started. Every one knows not to come upstairs, so I don't worry about being bothered until I'm ready to go down.

The second I step onto the first floor, I'm flooded with yells and slugs to the back as I make my way to the kitchen. I mix myself another drink and spot Alice hanging by the back door. She sips on her drink and surveys the crowd, carrying on her quiet, mysterious persona to perfection.

"Hey, Al." I lean against the wall beside her.

"She told you she wasn't coming," she says. It's not a question.

I take a deep breath and a sip of my drink.

"Give her some time, Edward," she says.

"You don't even know her. How do you know what she needs?" I ask.

"I have a good feeling about her. A girl isn't guarded unless she has a reason to be. She'll come around."

I open the trashcan to throw away an empty bag of chips and notice a postcard on the top. Looks like somewhere down south. Palm trees and sandy beaches.

"Your mom sent you another one?" I ask.

Alice is silent, but it's enough of an answer for me. Her mom abandons her and somehow has the nerve to send her random post cards from wherever she's hiding out around the country. Alice made it a point to find her once she was old enough and she did, one time. Her mother came back with her to Forks and seemed interested and regretful about what she'd done. It was all bullshit. She was gone the next morning with all the cash from Alice's wallet. The only times she ever hears from her are postcards. No calls. No emails. Nothing that can really be traced back to her. Hell, even if we followed her to wherever she sent the postcard from she'd probably already be gone.

"Sorry, Al."

"It's fine," she says. Jasper walks in and heads our way. I decide to give them some privacy and make my way to the living room, where Emmett and Rose are dominating in beer pong. I partner up with a buddy from school and finally dethrone them for a few games.

Every time the door opens, I can't help but look up, thinking maybe she changed her mind. It's a sick, twisted game my head is playing. Even more twisted than the fact that I actually want to get to know the girl who doesn't know herself. Part of me wants to help her find it, whatever piece of her that she's missing. The other part is terrified I'll break her or damage her more than she is now. I can't decide which side is winning the fight.

"Rematch!" Emmett yells as I sink the last shot of the game.

"I need a smoke," I say, passing on another game. I walk to the front door and out to the porch. Thankfully it's deserted. The front yard and street in front of our house looks like a graveyard for cars, all dark and empty.

I pull out my cigarettes and light one. Screams, shouts, laughter all echo behind me from the house. I like the stillness out here. The chaos of inside was starting to get to me. I don't mind the parties, I know Emmett likes them. But if I had my way, I'd never have to fake it. Never have to pretend to be happy to see someone or make small talk for the sake of saving face. To be honest, the one person I want to talk to isn't here. Everyone else was just pissing me off.

As I take the last drag and flick my cigarette into the dirt below, a shadow emerges out in the street. It's tiny, timid as it approaches. I figure its just one of Emmett's friends arriving fashionably late so I head back inside.

Despite our spat the other day, Jessica eyes me as soon as I walk in. Her suggestive look tells me I'll be in trouble if I don't avoid her. I can't stand her, but I can't say I haven't made a mistake or...more with her.

I slip up to my room and close the door, hoping to escape for a little while. Less than ten minutes later, there's someone knocking on my door.

"Go away, Jessica. I'm not in the mood." I sigh.

"Okay. Sorry," Bella says, her voice muffled through the door.

_Bella? _"Bella! Wait." I hurry to the door and pull it open. She's almost to the stairs already. "Wait."

She turns and shows me a tentative smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."

"You aren't bothering me. I thought you were someone else." I open my door a little more. "Come in."

"Okay." She passes by me and into my room. As I close the door, I can't help but smile. She came.

* * *

**A/N: She's heeeeeeere! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

"I didn't think you were going to make it." I sit down on the edge of the bed and pull a chair up for her. "What made you change your mind?"

"Charlie actually." She shrugs out of her coat and sets it on the back of the chair.

"Really?" I wonder if it has anything to do with the conversation I overheard.

"Yeah. I just...when I first came here...after you first found me, I was content with keeping a low profile. I didn't want the stares or the sympathy. I was okay with being alone. Then I met you and...God, Edward, you pissed me off, you irritated me, pushed me to the limits of everything...you actually made me smile. And now I'm not so okay with being alone anymore."

"I kind of forced you," I admit.

"I'm glad you did." She smiles and my stomach flutters. Fucking flutters.

First I'm taking baths and now I have fluttering. All in one day. "Why aren't you downstairs?" She asks.

"People are exhausting."

"Agreed." She laughs. "So, what do you want to do?"

I look around the room, wondering what the hell we were going to do up here now that she was actually here. I had a collection of books and records, along with a TV that wasn't hooked up to anything but a DVD player.

"Movie?" I ask.

"Sure."

"I'll go grab some of Emmett's DVDs. Do you want a drink?" I get up and head towards the door, hoping I can sneak around without being noticed.

"I would love a drink." She pulls her knees up to her chest and links her arms around them.

"Okay. I'll be right back." I open the door and slip out, heading towards Emmett's room. He's the movie guy and tends to hoard most of the DVDs in his room. I'm not necessarily happy about venturing in there. Last time I did, I couldn't see the floor and didn't even want to know what the hell I was stepping on.

I spot a stack of DVDs beside his TV and grab them without looking through them. Tucking them under my arm, I jog downstairs and immediately head into the kitchen.

I grab a couple of glasses, one of the Vodka bottles, and a bottle of soda. Someone calls my name, but I pretend not to hear them. I weave through the crowds and head back up. The moment my foot hits the top step, I hear someone coming up after me.

"Want some company?" Jessica asks.

"No, I'm good," I say. I pause, waiting for her to leave before I open my bedroom door.

"Jess!" Alice stomps up the steps and loops her arm through Jessica's. "I told you Edward was sick. He's contagious." She eyes the two glasses in my hand and smiles.

"Very contagious," I agree.

I tap my foot as Alice totes her back downstairs. When she's gone, I open the door to my bedroom and find Bella perusing through my book collection.

"Sorry that took so long," I say. I set down the drinks and pull the DVDs from under my arm. "Emmett thrives on two things, stupid raunchy comedies and bad horror flicks."

"Good thing we have alcohol."

"Pick one." I smile and hold up two DVDs. One is the 50th sequel to American Pie and one is a remake of an old horror movie. She pauses.

"There's boobs in each one, so I'm happy either way," I say sarcastically.

"I'm sure you are," she mumbles, debating each one. "Horror. If I have to stare some girl's tits, at least I'll get to see her get chased by a crazy serial killer."

Perfect. This girl is perfect.

"Alright." I nod and slip the movie in. While the previews start, I mix us both a drink and take a seat beside her.

The movie starts. It's dark. The music starts low and begins to build.

Barely ten seconds in and there's tits on the screen. Some chick is taking a bath, all alone in her house out in the middle of nowhere of course. She hears a noise downstairs and naturally gets out and wraps a towel around her body. As she cautiously steps downstairs, Bella sighs.

"What?" I whisper.

"Wait for it..."

"Who's there?" The girl on the screen calls.

"There," Bella says. "Who the hell does she expect to answer? Oh I'm just a psycho who's creeping in your house, I should probably properly introduce myself and let you know I'm here. No." She shakes her head.

I can't help but smile. "I didn't realize you felt so strongly on the subject."

She turns towards me. "I can already tell you what's going to happen next."

"Enlighten me." I shrug.

"She's going to turn around, go back upstairs and head to her room...probably feeling silly for being paranoid. Then bam. Guy's going to be there in her closet or behind a door or something and instead of running downstairs and outside, she's going to go in the opposite direction to a room she can't possibly escape from. No weapons and her phone is just going to be out of reach. No wonder she's the first to get offed."

I throw my head back and laugh. "Are you sure you haven't seen this movie?"

"There's a horror movie formula, Edward. It's a scientific fact."

"Is it now?"

"Yes." She takes a big sip of her drink, finishing it as the next scene plays out exactly like she'd described. "See?"

"And what would you do different?" This is it. My way of getting to know her. I can't ask her about her childhood or school back home, wherever that was. I was getting to know this Bella, the one here and now. It's all we have.

"Easy. Kick the piece of shit in the face, slide down the bannister and get the fuck out."

"Easy. Right." I pour us another drink.

The body count starts to rise and each time I ask Bella how she would have done it differently. It's thoroughly entertaining and I realize a few things. Bella is creative. She's funny. Smart. And she's fucking beautiful.

There's a commotion downstairs and the moment someone yells "Cops!" I freeze.

"Shit!" I hiss.

"Charlie!" Bella jumps up.

"Wait, Charlie doesn't know you're here?" I panic. The bastard already hates me. I don't think he'd be too happy to find me up here alone with

her.

"You really think I told him I was coming to a party at your house?"

"Well how did you get here?"

"I walked."

"That's like two miles away!"

She shrugs. "It's a nice night."

"Now, what?"

Bella looks around and smiles. "Window?"

I'm no stranger to the window escape. In fact, I've perfected it.

We rush to the window and pull it open. Esme has conveniently planted ivy on this side of the house that crawls up the brick on a white lattice. Bella hops out onto the roof and I follow. It's easy enough to crawl down the lattice and escape out into the back yard.

I can see the flashing lights from the front of the house. Two cop cars sit at the back of the line of cars and I can tell one is Charlie's. People are screaming inside and more than a few rush out the back and run into the woods.

"Okay, Bella. If we were in a horror movie, now what would you do?"

She laughs and eyes the woods. "I'd take the short cut back to the main road."

I narrow my eyes at her. "How do you know there's a short cut?"

"I don't." She stares me down, waiting for an answer. "But there's always a short cut."

There is, of course. One that wraps around to the main road in less than ten minutes. Straight through the woods.

"Are you sure that's not where the psycho killer is waiting?"

She pauses and a sweet, soft smile hits her lips. "I'm not so scared. Not with you."

"Okay, then." I nod to a small break in the trees and she follows me in.

The farther we get away from the house, the quieter it gets. Everything is still. The trees stick up like dark shadows against the glowing moon. It's bright enough to light our way down the path.

"Sometimes I come out here...to just sit for awhile. Clear my head, you know?" I stick my hands in my pockets as we walk.

"And what's in your head? Right now?" She asks.

I blush. "I really like you, Bella. You're not like anyone else."

She stops and I take a few steps before I realize she's not with me.

"How do you know?" She mumbles. "How do you know this is the real me? What if the person I left behind, the person that's somewhere inside my head isn't the same? What if it's all...not real?"

"Impossible. I don't think there's any version of you that I wouldn't like."

Her breath catches in her throat and she looks down at the ground as she forces herself to walk.

"Tell me something about you. Tell me more about your parents," she says.

I'm a little surprised she asked something so direct, but I don't mind.

"Well, they definitely win the award for Worst Parents, I'll tell you that." I say, glancing up at the moon.

"I highly doubt that."

"Before my mom got arrested, I came home from school to find her passed out on the floor. She was unconscious, half naked, and had a hypodermic needle sticking out of her arm. And you want to know what's worse than a kid seeing his mother like that? Knowing that his father did it to her."

She doesn't speak for a long time. "Guess we're all kind of fucked up, huh?"

"Yeah."

We finally reach the road, but there's no way I'm letting her walk home by herself. I know its Forks and nothing ever happens here. But it doesn't matter.

"You're not walking me home," she protests.

"Yes, I am."

"You won't get home for hours. I'm a slow walker."

"Then I'm a slow walker too."

She crosses her arms over her chest and I know I'm in for a fight.

Thankfully, I spot a car pulling up. I know exactly who's inside. Angela Webber. Student body president.

I wave her down and when she sees it's me, she rolls down her window.

"Hi, Edward. Isabella."

"Listen, Ang. Can you do me a favor? Can you take Bella home, she lives right down the road from you. I can give you money."

"Edward." Bella shakes her head.

"No problem. And keep your money. I'm happy to take her," Angela says.

I know she doesn't mind. And I know exactly where she's coming from. Ben's house. They've been dating since Freshman year and he lives two blocks away from here.

Bella opens the car door and turns back. "Thank you...for tonight. I had fun."

"Good." I nod and close the door for her once she's inside. She waves as Ang pulls away and I smile. Something's changing. Something's different. I feel like I'm different.

I'm antsy the rest of the weekend, anxious to speak to her. Emmett is a nice guy and takes the blame for the party. Since no one got hurt or made a complete fool of themselves, both Charlie and Carlisle go easy on him with the punishment. I expect Charlie to know that Bella was here. I don't know why. Cop's intuition. Father's intuition. Even if she isn't his blood, he has it. So I'm surprised when he doesn't say anything to me about it.

Monday rolls around and I'm practically jumping out of my skin. I wait for her by her tree, the one she sits at every day after school. When I spot Charlie pulling into the school parking lot, I hop up and pace. I wonder if she got in trouble, if he caught her sneaking back in or found out what had happened.

He drops her off and she smiles when she sees me.

"Hey," I say. "Are you okay? Did you get in trouble for Friday?"

"Trouble?" She cocks her eyebrow. "How could I possibly get in trouble for seeing a movie with my friend, Angela?"

"Bella Unknown, you are a liar." I smirk as she starts into school.

She throws a glance back over her shoulder. "I'd do it again for you, Edward Masen."

* * *

**A/N: All the feels!**


	10. Chapter 10

My very first foster family took me to an amusement park right after I got placed with them. Thought it would help us bond as a family. It was one of the few good days I remembered from this whole experience…before the Cullens anyway. My foster dad held my hand as we waited in line and kept telling me how much I was going to love the rollercoaster. I was scared shitless. I remember looking up at the mess of steel and screws, wondering what it could possibly feel like at the very top.

We'd boarded the rollercoaster car and I was just tall enough to ride it. My foster dad said, "Made it by a smidge, sport. You're lucky." Lucky. I was an eight year old kid who thought he was about to die. I didn't consider myself lucky, but I didn't say a word. Never let on that I was terrified. And as the car clunked and clinked up the rickety tower, up to the top, I gripped so tightly onto the bar in front of me that I thought I was going to turn Hulk and break the damn thing. For the complete second half, I refused to open my eyes.

Just as we reached the peak, there was a moment where everything fell silent. Lingering just for that tiniest second on the edge of the fall. I told myself to open my eyes.

Excitement. Fear. Anticipation creeping up so thick in my throat that it was hard to swallow. And instead of screaming my little punk head off, I smiled. Who would have thought something so scary would be so worth it?

I feel it again now. The fear. The excitement. The anticipation. Because somewhere between 2nd and 3rd period, I decide that I like Bella. In a hearts and flowers and chocolates kind of way. I'm at the very peak of something new and now I have to decide if I'm going to open my eyes again.

During lunch, I sit outside on her bench in the courtyard. It's become our normal spot, but today I'm alone. She has a follow up appointment with Carlisle to assess her recovery and I'm thankful for the time with my thoughts.

Once the bell rings, I hurry inside and catch up with Jasper. He notices I'm acting strange and doesn't spare my feelings.

"Are you on drugs?" He asks.

I smirk.

"You are?"

"No. Of course not." I shake my head as we head to class.

"Well you've been acting strange the past few days."

I take a deep breath and shrug. "I'm going to ask Bella out…on a date."

He cocks his eyebrow. "Do you know how?"

"To date or ask?"

"Both."

I punch his shoulder. "I've been out on a date before, asshole."

"Yeah, but not with anyone like her."

"You think I should ask Charlie?" We stop at our lockers and grab some books before continuing on. Alice spots us from the end of the hallway and waves as she slips into her class.

"Ask Charlie out on a date? I don't really think you're his type."

"No. I mean ask him about Bella. I don't want him to think I'm just some jerk trying to manipulate her or get laid or just…you know. I want to do this the right way."

"You really think that's a good idea?" He stops right before we walk into class.

"I don't know."

I think about it for the rest of the school day. And then it spills over into my drive home and through dinner. Before I know it, I'm staring up at my ceiling that night still going over everything in my head. I know that it's not the 1800s anymore and he's not even her father, but I feel like it would go a long way with him. I've never even met fathers before, except in passing at a football game or at the diner.

So I get up at 5:30, at least two hours before I would ever think about opening my eyes. I get dressed and head down to the coffee shop because I know he'll be there. It's his routine. Everyone knows it. Charlie sits at the coffee shop every morning at 6:15, reading his paper and drinking his morning cup. He stays until about seven before he heads back home.

His car is parked outside when I pull up. I'm not sure what I'm going to say to him or what I'm going to do. I'm hoping that will come later.

Hopefully I work well under pressure.

When I step inside the shop, there are a few people scattered at the tables, talking about their day in front of their steaming coffee. Charlie sits in the corner reading his paper, just like I expected.

I buy a cup of coffee and take a deep breath as I walk towards him. He doesn't flinch, doesn't even look up until I'm standing right beside him.

"Good morning, Charlie." I nod.

"Edward. Not used to seeing you here so early."

"I was hoping I could talk to you actually."

He stares at me for a moment and slowly brings his coffee cup up to his lips. "Sit."

I slid into the seat next to him and stare down at my hands. Now what?

_Speak, Edward_.

"I would like to take Bella out on a date," I finally say.

"What?" He asks.

"A date. And out of respect for you, I wanted to ask you first...if that was okay." I swallow hard. Bastard makes me nervous.

He folds his newspaper and leans back in the chair. "I knew this was going to happen. I knew when you started hanging around." He sighs. "I don't think that's a good idea, Edward."

"Why not?"

"Because I have no idea what's going to happen with her. I don't know how long she's going to be here, I don't know if she's going to fully recover from her accident, there are so many I don't knows. And you're you." Despite his words, I know he's not trying to be rude, but it still pisses me off.

"I get it, Charlie. Bella and me. Alice. Emmett. We're the broken ones. The damaged. The left behind. The forgotten. And I won't disagree with you on that, but sometimes love is the only thing we have. It's something for the rest of us, sir. And that's who we are. The rest." I stand. "And if you don't think she deserves that, then to Hell with you. I'm going to give it to her anyway."

I start to walk away, but he stops me.

"Edward!" He stands and folds his paper under his arm. "I've got to get to the station, do you think you could take Bella to school for me?"

Even though he wasn't directly saying it, I knew he was telling me it was okay. It was okay to ask her out. He was giving me my chance.

"Sure." I nod as he passes and heads toward the door, shaking his head and mumbling something about "regretting this later."

I allow myself to smile. Who would have known? Edward Masen does his best work in the morning.

Even though it's early, I drive right to Charlie's house and sit out on the porch smoking a cigarette. I check my watch every now and then, trying to decide when it's acceptable to knock.

A half hour before school starts, I figure it's okay. Bella answers the door, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

"Hi," she says, surprised.

"Hey. Charlie asked me if I could take you to school today. He had to head to the station."

She stops. "He did?"

"He did."

"Oh. Okay, I'm almost ready. Come on in."

I step inside and follow her up to her room. Charlie's bought her a new bedspread and there's a single poster on the wall. Her closet is open a little and I can tell they've done some more shopping.

"New clothes?" I ask.

"Yeah. It's going to get cold soon, so Charlie insisted on getting me some winter clothes." She smiles.

"How long have you been here now?"

"Just about three months, I think." She pulls on a vest and searches for her bag. "I had a good meeting with Carlisle yesterday. Said everything looked good."

"Any developments on the brain?"

"Uh, no. Nope." She shakes her head. "Guess you're stuck with me."

"I don't mind."

When she's ready, we pile into my car and start towards school. It's strange to me, how easily she seems to have fallen into this new life. Like it really did belong to her. Like she wanted it to belong to her. Maybe that was what was always wrong with me. It was like a bad drug, my body and my heart were always rejecting every new family. I never wanted it to belong to me because I never believed it could. I wish I were more like her. That I had that kind of faith or courage. Whatever it is, Bella has it.

We pull into school and after I park, I don't get out right away. Bella stares at me, pondering my delay.

"What's going on?" She asks.

"I wanted to talk to you about something. Well ask you something, really."

"If this is about the paper, I'm not writing the conclusion, that was your job." She narrows her eyes at me and I can't help but laugh.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you out."

"Out?"

"Out. Yeah like on a date. Out."

Her smile is momentary. Kind of like when you're thinking about your Christmas present the moment before you open it. It fades just as quickly and something close to sadness takes over.

"I can't," she says.

"No. You can. I already talked to Charlie and..."

"No, Edward," she interrupts. "I'm sorry, I just...I just can't."

Before I can respond, she slips out of the car and runs into school and I'm left with nothing but the sight of her walking away.

* * *

**A/N: If she won't go out with him, I sure as hell will. *nods***


	11. Chapter 11

I sit in the car for another ten minutes, wondering what the fuck just happened. I sit there for so long that the final bell rings and I take my time getting inside because I already know I'm late.

Instead of my normal conspicuous entrance, I quickly and silently slide into the first seat by the door and pull out my things.

My head is still back there. Back in the car. And I can't for the life of me figure out what went wrong. We were friends. We flirt. Right? Was I completely off base here thinking that she might possibly want to go out on a date with me? I was used to dealing with rejection and disappointment, but this was a whole other level.

I hope I see her at lunch so I can explain or figure out what's going on in her head. She's not in the cafeteria, she's not even in the courtyard.

I sit with my friends, completely immune to anything that's going on around me. I don't even eat.

Emmett nudges my shoulder when the bell rings and I head to my next class. I sit in my normal seat and gaze out the window as the teacher begins to speak.

"Hey, Masen," someone behind me whispers. I turn and find James. His eyes flicker from the front board to me as he speaks. "Did you nail her yet?"

"Excuse me?" I was still in my post-rejection funk and wasn't quite sure I'd heard him right.

"The new girl. Did you nail her?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" My fists clench as I turn towards the front and try to ignore him. Out of every person in this school, he is the one I hate the most. Good for nothing daddy's boy who gets whatever he wants.

"I just wanted to make sure you didn't have any claim on her, man. So you won't mind if I take her?" He says. My blood boils. All I can see is her face. Her sweet and beautiful face. And I want nothing more than to tell him she is mine. I can't. Because the truth of the matter is the complete opposite. I can't call her mine, but she sure as hell can call me hers if she wants. "I bet she makes the sweetest kitty cat noises when you touch her just right," he mumbles.

I shoot up out of my seat and throw myself at him, knocking both of our desks over. The teacher immediately starts yelling at us, but I don't hear a word he says. We roll over the floor, knocking into bags and chairs and legs. I feel a hard hit to my lip and throw up my fist, trying to get a punch him before he decks me again. It connects with his cheek and I smile in satisfaction as I'm pulled off of him. Someone has their arms around my chest, stumbling backward as Coach Green does the same to James.

"You two, to the office. Now!" Coach yells. I shake out of the teacher's grip and stomp out into the hallway. Coach and James appear behind me and he escorts us down to the office.

We sit outside the principal's office, separated by the secretary's desk. The school nurse's office is across the hall. She shows up with two ice packs, one for his cheek and one for my lip. I finally taste the blood and realize he got me better than I thought.

We sit for a good fifteen minutes before the principal calls us in. He closes the door behind him and stares at us. He thinks I'm going to get embarrassed, that I'm going to regret hitting him. He's wrong. I'd knock the son of bitch down again if I had the chance.

"So what's the deal, boys?" He sits down in his chair and folds his hands over his obnoxiously large stomach.

We don't speak.

"Silent treatment, huh? Guess you won't mind spending the rest of the day sitting in silence then. Detention. Both of you."

I hold the ice pack close to my lip and stand. On the way to detention, I stop by the bathroom to get a good look at the damage. There's a large gash just off center on my bottom lip. I spit some blood out of my mouth and see James walk in. He checks out his cheek and I laugh under my breath. I knocked him good.

I wipe my face with a paper towel and throw it in the trash can as I head out.

"Was it something I said, Masen?" He taunts.

"Yeah. It was. She's too good for you." I narrow my eyes at him. "And she's too good for me too, but do you want to know the difference between me and you?"

"Enlighten me."

"I know her. I know her in a way that you will never, ever know her. And if by some chance, she ever decided to let me be with her, I'd spend our time together making sure that she didn't regret that choice. You'd be the biggest mistake of her life before your name even rolled off of her lips."

I leave before he has the chance to piss me off even more. As I hurry out of the bathroom, I run right into someone lingering by the door.

"Bella!"

Her eyes are on the brink of tears, glazed over in the flourescent lights.

"Did you hear all that?" I ask, closing my eyes. I'm afraid she'll see me. Stripped bare and naked in the most frightening way.

I shiver when I feel her finger across my lip. And then in an instant it's gone again. When I open my eyes and I catch her running away down the hall.

I sigh and decide I should get to detention before the principal decides to check in on us. I take a seat in the back and doodle on my desk until the end of the day. James decides to forgo our punishment and skip the rest of the day. His Dad will probably write some ridiculous note about how he got food poisoning and had to leave the premises.

When the bell rings, I grab a few things from my locker and head out to the parking lot. My heart starts pounding faster as I get closer to the tree. Her tree. I expect to find her sitting there waiting for Charlie and I run through a thousand scenarios in my head about what I'm going to say to her. Like "I'm sorry I freaked you out." Or "I had a momentary lapse of reality and thought you actually had feelings for me."

I never get the chance to say a word because she's not there. Maybe Charlie was early today.

As I approach my car, I notice someone sitting in the passenger's seat.

And not just someone. My someone. Bella.

I open my door and slide down into the seat. "I'm pretty sure this car was locked." I cock my eyebrow at her as I throw my bag in the back.

"I'm pretty sure you're mistaken."

I play with my keys to ease the tension.

"Listen, Bella..." I start.

"Edward, stop."

"What?"

"Stop." She takes a deep breath. "I would love to go on a date with you."

"But I thought earlier..."

"I was just caught a little off guard. I never wanted any of this," she says.

Ouch.

Then she surprises the hell out of me and slips her hand into mine. "But I think today made me realize it's exactly what I needed."

* * *

**A/N: Girl finally got her head screwed on straight : ) Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

It's Saturday. The day it's all happening. The day I'm taking Bella out on a date. Now, I'm normally not nervous about dates. I've been on my fair share and can easily say not one has made me a nervous wreck. But today? _The_ day. I can tell you the exact moment when I became that nervous wreck.

It all starts with the radio. The car radio to be exact. I'd showered, gotten dressed, even told Esme where I was going without one anxious bone in my body. But the instant I slide into my car and turn on the radio, I have a breakdown.

The song isn't right. I switch the station. I switch it again. And again.

None of these songs are right. And what if all the wrong songs play when I pick her up and on our drive to the restaurant and all the way through dinner. Are we dooming our relationship by starting it out with a bad soundtrack?

It worries me enough that I turn the radio completely off, leaving me with an even more irritating silence.

Bella is waiting on the front porch when I pull up to Charlie's house. She waves up towards the window where I'm sure Charlie is waiting and jogs towards my car.

"Hi," I say when she opens the door.

"Hi." She smiles and slides in, shivering. "It's freezing outside."

"Then what the hell were you doing waiting outside?" I tease.

"Charlie told me I was driving him nuts with my endless pacing." She diverts her eyes and a small blush creeps onto her cheeks. She's nervous too. At least that makes me feel a little better.

When we get to the restaurant, I have no idea how to act. I debate opening her car door for her, but hesitate enough that she does it for herself. Even though we have a reservation, we have to wait a few minutes while they clear our table. We stand beside each other, leaning back against the wall and sneaking sly glances at one another. But we don't speak.

This is normal? Right? I mean it's not super normal for friends to go out on a date. To get out of that dreaded friend zone. It's supposed to be a little weird. Feel a little off. Right?

Our table is finally ready and the hostess leads us through the restaurant, past all the other tables. Everyone stares. They know. They know what this is. It's a first date. They're thinking how fucking adorable we are and all I can think about is the constant fluttering in my head and my chest.

We sit and browse through our menus. Nothing sounds good. Not even water. How is it possible that water cannot sound good?

I pull at my collar and look up at the lights, wondering if they're too bright or making me hot.

"Edward, are you okay?" Bella asks.

"Yeah."

She nods and goes back to the menu.

"Good evening," the waiter says as he approaches and pulls out his pad and pen. "Tonight we are featuring wonderful specials of grilled lobster with garlic mashed potatoes, a chicken parmesean with asparagus, and a lovely sundae that is just perfect for two." He glances between the two of us with a look just a notch past suggestive.

I sigh. A little too loud. Bella smiles at the waiter and sets down her menu. "We'll need a few minutes, thank you." He nods and leaves.

"Edward." My fingers tap rapidly on my legs like a drum.

"Yes?"

"You're nervous."

She knows. There's no reason to hide it now. Plus I know her. She won't let it go. "Listen, I don't know how to have a normal date. I don't know how to be a normal person. This whole procedural first date thing isn't me."

"But we hang out all the time."

"This is different."

"How?" She links her fingers together and rests them on top of the table.

"Because there are expectations and preconceived notions on how it's supposed to go and what's supposed to happen."

"What are your expectations and preconceived notions?" She cocks her eyebrow and tries to hide her smile.

"That it's supposed to be perfect. That we're supposed to have dinner and I should act like a gentleman and tell you all the right things. And that I'm supposed to tell you that you look nice and that's it. Then at the end of the night, I drop you off at a decent hour with kiss you on the cheek and tell you that I had a really nice time. But see none of that is me. And none of that is us." I put my head in my hands. "And our soundtrack started off like shit."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"So you didn't mean to ask me out on a date? You picked the restaurant."

"I did mean to ask you out on a date. Just not this date."

She leans closer. "And what date did you mean to ask me out on?"

"I want a date where we drive around listening to music and talking about nothing in particular. I want to be alone with you and not in this stuffy restaurant with all these fucking people who keep staring at me like we're going to our first dance. I want to tell you that you look damn beautiful, because you do." She blushes. "And you know what? Maybe at the end of the night, I want to kiss you. On the lips. And I want to stay out way past a decent hour with you and tell you that I can't wait to see you again." I sit back and let out a deep breath. That was exhausting in the best way. "I have no idea where all that came from, I'm sorry."

She pushes her menu away and stands, holding out her hand to me.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Come on. We're going on our date."

I reluctantly take her hand and she pulls me from my seat. We pass our waiter, who looks beyond confused at our abrupt exit. When we get to the car, she gets in and nods.

"Now, what?" I ask.

"Drive."

So I drive. Out of the parking lot, down the road. Past her street and mine until we hit the rural winding roads. She flips through the radio stations, seeming perfectly content.

"Are you going to start talking?" She asks.

"About what?"

She leans back and rests her arm on the door. "Nothing in particular."

"I've never met anyone like you, Bella."

She smiles. "How come you aren't like that more often?"

"Like what?" I ask.

"How you just were back at the restaurant. You're sweet. Sweeter than you'd ever let on to anyone else."

"Don't tell anyone." I laugh.

"Exactly. I mean I see you at school. You've got this tough guy routine down. Pretending nothing matters and that you don't care about anything. And everyone buys it."

"Isn't it easier that way?"

"Isn't it easier to just be who you are. You don't have to pretend."

"With you, I don't. People at school are different. They watch you. Maybe you don't see it now, but they do. Waiting for the smallest crack, the smallest fissure to form so they can get inside and break you apart. I guess I just figure if I pretend I don't give a shit, they won't."

"Maybe you should stop thinking the worst of people."

"Well I've had my fair share of seeing the worst of people to back up my theory."

We drive aimlessly for another half hour, twisting and turning our way through the trees.

A light snow begins to fall, nothing more than flurries. The first snow of the season.

"Stop the car!" Bella screams. I slam on the breaks and we both jolt forward.

"What?" I ask. "What is it?"

She pushes the door open and jumps out. Of course, my favorite song comes on the radio. She's missing our soundtrack.

"What the fuck is happening?" I mumble.

She runs out in front of the car, in between the headlights, and looks up.

"Bella?" I jump out and join her, rubbing my palms together. "What are you doing?"

"It's snowing!" She screams. Her hand reaches up and catches a snowflake.

"Yeah? So?" I hop back and forth between my feet and hug my arms around my body. It's fucking freezing out here.

"I've never seen snow before." She slows down and looks up with the biggest damn smile on her face. She opens her mouth and sticks her tongue out just in time to catch another snowflake.

"How do you know?"

Her eyes close as she drops her chin to her chest. I can't imagine a more perfect moment. A more perfect date. This is us.

"Because something this beautiful would be hard to forget...even with amnesia." She glances towards me. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For pushing me. And for not going away. It's making me brave. It's like this is all starting to feel real for me. Like maybe I could make a life here, you know? And you're a big part of that."

"Good."

She breathes in and out, letting out big clouds of air into the frigid cold.

"Do we have to wait until you drop me off?"

"For what?"

She smiles and takes a few steps towards me, meeting the tips of my toes with hers. Her hand comes up to my jacket and she yanks on the zipper, pulling it up and down. She follows it with her eyes, contemplating something. When she finally looks up at me, she smiles. She answers my question without a single word when she pops up and kisses me. On the lips.

* * *

**A/N: What a perfectly, beautiful date. :)**

**Thanks so much for reading and being so excited about their story.**


	13. Chapter 13

"This is not funny," I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

"It's a little funny." Bella eyes me from the passenger seat.

"It's not." I sigh and push the car door open, once again heading out into the cold. "Stay here."

Okay we kissed. And believe me, it was fucking awesome. In fact, we kissed a lot. But when it started getting close to one in the morning...way past a decent hour, I figured I should get her home to Charlie before he sent his deputies out for us.

We made it about a half mile from where we'd stopped when it happened. My car just fucking died. No juice. No life.

"Are you sure you don't want some help?" Bella calls, sticking her head out the window.

"No, no. I'll figure it out." I pop the hood and take a look inside. Surprisingly, Esme is the mechanic of the family and I have no idea what I'm looking at. I mean, I know the basics. The engine, how to change the oil. But I can't tell you this belt from that belt or what's supposed to go where. Which basically translates to us being fucked out here in the middle of nowhere with the snow coming down like mad.

I don't know how long I stand there with my hands on my hips, but it's enough that my lips start chattering.

"How's that figuring out going?" Bella says. She's out of the car and standing beside me with a know-it-all grin.

"Not so well."

"Good because I called Carlisle and Esme."

"Why?"

"Because even though I appreciate the fact that you're trying to be the man and fix the car and all, I don't think it's going to happen. And I'd prefer that you don't turn into an icicle." She spins back towards the front seat. "Now let's get back inside and wait for them to get here."

I give in and follow her back around to the doors. My fingers are numb, so I assume that when the door doesn't open that I didn't hold onto it right. But when I try again and it doesn't give, I start to panic.

"Did you lock the car?" I ask.

"I don't think so." Bella tries her door. No luck. "Shit."

"It's easy to hit the button when you get out." I shake my head. "Hopefully they'll be here soon." I walk around to the other side of the car and put my arms around her, hoping we can keep each other warm. "Why didn't you call Charlie?"

"I did. I got the answering machine at the house. He must be out."

"Probably plotting my murder for keeping you out so late."

Her body stutters with laughter. "If I die out here, tell him that his spaghetti isn't as bad as he thinks it is," she says, burying her head into my chest.

"How are things going with Charlie?"

"Good. He's a really good guy. And he's funny and caring. You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but he's a really good dad."

"Yeah?"

"We went to go see Forrest Gump the other night at the old theater downtown. They were doing a rerun of some previous Oscar winners and apparently it's one of his favorite movies."

I smile and kiss the top of her head. "Me and Jenny was like peas and carrots."

Her arms tighten around my waist. I expect her to laugh, but she doesn't. "Dear, God. Make me a bird. So I can fly far. Far, far away from here," she mumbles.

I pull back and she looks up at me with a desolate smile. Instead of asking her what's wrong, I lean down and press my lips to hers as the headlights splash across us.

"Edward!" Carlisle yells. Car doors slam and my time alone with her comes to an abrupt end.

"Bella! Are you guys okay?" Esme rushes up to us and checks us over.

"Yeah. Just cold," Bella says, stepping back from me. "I was an idiot and locked the keys in the car."

"We have an extra set back at the house." Esme nods to their car. "Let's get you guys inside, we'll come back for the car tomorrow and see what's going on with it."

Bella and I hurry into the backseat and a blast of warm air hits us. I moan, not embarrassed that the heat is orgasmic compared to the frigid cold. We huddle together as Carlisle backs up and starts home.

Bella falls asleep on my shoulder and I hover somewhere in Limbo. With the nasty weather, it takes us a good half hour to even get back into town. When we pass the police station, I see Charlie's cruiser sitting in the parking lot.

"Hey, can you pull in? Charlie's here and I want to apologize for keeping her out so late. He's probably worried."

Carlisle glances at me in the rearview mirror and smiles. "I think that's a lovely thing to do, Edward."

I nod and gently shake Bella awake as he parks. "Bella," I whisper. "We're at the station. Charlie's here."

She shoots up and looks around, her eyes droopy with sleep. "Okay." She takes a deep breath. "Thank you for coming to get us," she says to Carlisle and Esme.

"You're welcome, honey. Thanks for calling. Who knows how long Edward and his pride would have waited," Esme says.

We get out of the car and walk up to the station door. I spot Charlie inside at the back talking to one of his deputies at his desk. And he doesn't look happy.

As soon as we open the door, I flinch back because he's yelling.

"Don't tell me to calm down when my kid is out there somewhere!" He screams.

"She's not your kid, Charlie. Just relax. She's a smart girl, I'm sure she's fine," the deputy says.

"Charlie!" Bella says. He turns towards us and hurries over.

"Where have you been? Are you okay?" He asks. When she nods, he turns toward me with the rage of Hell behind his eyes. "How dare you!? How dare you keep her out and not call? I knew this was a bad idea. You were a bad idea, Masen!"

"Charlie!" Bella scolds. I sit back and take it because I don't want to make him more upset.

"No, Bella! He's no good and he just proved that tonight!"

"Our car broke down. That's all and that's it," she says. "I tried calling the house phone and you didn't answer. And he is good, Charlie. He took care of me!" Bella is pushing back and I'm a little surprised by her tenacity. I've never really seen anyone stand up to him like that.

"I'll go," I said. "I'm very sorry that she was out so late, Sir." I nod and start to make my exit.

"No, wait." Bella catches up with me and grabs my hand. "You don't have to do that, you know. Just sit there and take it. Do the honorable thing. It's okay to stand up for yourself, you didn't do anything wrong."

"I know, but I'm going to let him win this one I think." I smile and lean down to kiss her forehead. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Okay."

I push the door open, but before I leave I look back. Charlie has his arms wrapped around Bella like he's afraid to let her go. I see it then. What Bella was talking about. Charlie's a good father.

"You can call me your kid if you want, I don't mind," Bella mumbles.

And despite the fact that I just got chewed out by my potential girlfriend's foster dad, I know for that moment everything is right in the world.

* * *

**A/N: Charlie is a good dad. And Edward's a good guy. Lucky Bella :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Caution, revelation ahead!**

* * *

We go on a few more dates. They are exactly like the first. Not with the blizzard or the keys locked in the car, but they are completely us. Completely laid back. Completely fun. With no pressure or expectations. And I find myself seeing again and again why I like the girl so much. Bella is unlike anyone I've ever met.

This whole place, this whole town and the people in it, are like a canvas, covered in all different shades of boring, gray paint. Now that she's here? It's like there's a splash of color. Unavoidable. Bright. Happy. I'm happy.

"Bella?" Charlie yells up the stairs. It's the second time in an hour.

"Yeah?" Bella calls.

"Just checking." He's checking to make sure the door is open. One of his rules now that Bella and I are...whatever we are.

She smiles and continues proof-reading our paper, which is sprawled out all over her bed. The semester is coming to a close and it's due before Christmas break.

"I'm surprised he even lets me in the house," I say, straddling her desk chair.

"I told you I think my little speech at the police station thawed him out a little," she mumbles, keeping her eyes on the paper.

"He still checked my pockets for condoms before he let me up here. It's like he's expecting me to corrupt you."

She glances up at me. "Are you trying to corrupt me?"

"Of course I am."

She forces her eyes back down. "I think we need a better transition here." She points down at the paper.

"Where?" I get up and kneel down on the bed, hovering above her as I search the paper.

"Here." She clears her throat and points down again.

I glance down and smirk. She's nervous. I brush my fingers over her hair and pull it back from her shoulder.

"Where?" I whisper, leaning down close.

"H-h-here," she mumbles.

I nuzzle into her neck and smile, planting a soft kiss on her skin. "Here?" She trembles in silence. "A good transition?" I continue up her neck and down her jaw until I reach her lips.

She turns her body and falls back down on the papers, sending them all over the floor.

"That was a good transition." She smiles and runs her fingers through my hair as I kiss her again.

"Charlie's just downstairs..." She says.

"Exactly. He's downstairs." I kiss her and slip my hand down to her hips.

"He was right. You're trying to corrupt me."

"Is it working?" I cock my eyebrow.

She tugs at my shirt and I get the feeling that her answer is yes. Very, very yes.

I reach behind me and pull it over my head. She reaches up and kisses the middle of my chest. Every inch of me is on fire, aching for more. It's a painful dance, desire and restraint. Circling each other seeing which side is going to give in first.

She pulls me in for another kiss, deeper and more than before. For the first time, I acknowledge that I'm falling for her. Falling hard. Falling fast. Falling completely upside down in love with her.

My hand slides up her stomach and across her ribs, pulling her shirt up with it. I grab one of her tiny wrists, and then the other, forcing them above her head as I kiss her.

She pushes against me and I hold her tighter.

"Edward," she mumbles, pushing again. I realize she's stopped kissing me back. "Edward! Get off me!"

I feel a hard knee to my stomach and I cower back, falling off the bed in the process. I hit the floor with a thundering clunk, banging my elbow. "Shit!" I shake it out and rise to my knees. "Bella?"

Her eyes are wide with fear as she pulls her arms and legs into her body, folding in on herself until she's tiny and small. She's on the brink of tears and I have no other emotion other than fucking confused. What did I do?

"Bella?" I ask, my voice breaking.

"Bella!" Charlie booms, stomping up the stairs. "What's going on?" He appears in the doorway and I can only imagine how this looks to him. I'm half naked and on the floor. She's curled up on the bed like a wounded puppy with her shirt pushed up over her bra. And I automatically look like the bad guy. "What the hell?" His face turns bright red as he stares at me. Disappointment. Rage. Regret. I see them all as I struggle to explain. "Get out of my house, Masen!"

"Sir, I..." I don't even know how to speak because I have no idea what just happened.

"Charlie," Bella says, her voice meek and quiet.

"No, Bella! I knew he was trouble and now this...in my own house!" Charlie screams. I scramble to get my shirt back on and get my things. I look towards Bella one last time as I stumble towards the door, hoping she'll say something. Tell him what happened. Tell me what happened.

"Don't you dare look at her! This was a huge mistake. You were a huge mistake, Masen! I shouldn't have trusted you." He stands with his hands on his hips. "Don't come back here again."

I shrug my jacket on and head downstairs in a daze. I don't remember walking out to my car. I don't remember the drive home or walking through my front door. I don't even register that I'm in my room until Emmett plows in.

"Hey, man." He nudges my shoulder. "What's going on? Mom said you acted weird when you came in."

"I don't know." My brain runs through every image, every single thing I'd done tonight trying to find out what the hell I did. I feel like shit, thinking I hurt her or pushed her too fast. But that doesn't feel right. Something doesn't feel right.

"Okay." Emmett heads back out into the hallway. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here."

"Thanks."

I pull the covers over my head and envelope myself in darkness. Being alone with my thoughts wasn't something I typically fear. Tonight it was terrifying.

I think I fall asleep at some point. Or I'm floating somewhere in that place between sleep and awake. I imagine I hear something at my window, but I don't care to move. It's probably a fucking burglar here to murder me. Right now, I don't mind. Hell, I wish for it. Because I have no idea how I'm supposed to recover from tonight.

"Edward?" She whispers. I hear a sniffle and two soft thumps, her feet hitting the floor.

"Bella?" I throw the covers off of me and squint into the dark. She's standing by my window, her arms tightly wound around herself and her cheeks tear-stained.

She doesn't speak as she kicks her shoes off and walks towards me. I freeze when she slowly crawls into bed with me and lays down. I glance at the clock. It's almost two in the morning. Six hours ago, she threw me off the bed for touching her and now she's crawling into bed with me.

"Hold me," she whispers. And despite my questions, I do.

I hold her tight and she's fucking freezing. "Christ, did you walk here?" I ask.

She nods and buries herself in my chest.

"What happened back at Charlie's, Bella?"

She looks up at me and sniffles again. It's evident she cried the entire way here and then some as another tear slips down her cheek. "A memory."

"Memory?" My eyes widen. "Memory! Is it back? Do you remember? Do you remember who you are?"

"No." She looks at me with a sad expression. One I can only define as asking for something. Forgiveness. Understanding. Until she speaks again, I have no idea why she's asking for it. "I've always known."

* * *

**A/N: O.o Bella's got some 'splainin to do.**

**Announcement: This story has graciously been nominated at The Lemonade Stand for Fic of the Week. If you find yourself inspired to do so, please head over to www. tehlemonadestand . net and vote for some of your favorites! (Link can also be found in my Twitter feed and FB) Thank you again TLS for including me, it's always an honor! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

"What?" I stutter. I obviously misheard her, right? Because I swear she just told me that she's always known who she was.

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. "My name is Isabella Dwyer. My birthday is September 13th and I just turned seventeen. I'm from Phoenix, Arizona, where I lived with my father, Phil. He's the mayor of Scottsdale, a suburb area of Phoenix. My mother died when I was twelve from cancer and I don't have any siblings."

I want to feel sorry for her. Deep down, I want to understand. I want everything to be okay. But all I feel is anger. My stomach clenches and I close my eyes. Is this all a lie? Are we a lie?

"You knew? This whole time?" I pull away, distancing myself from her. "How could you do that? How could you lie to me?" The resentment is apparent, poisoning my voice with each word. "I don't even know you, Bella!"

"You know me." She starts to cry again. "You know the real me, Edward. I was never anyone else with you. I was me. My name and my past don't define who I am."

I stand up and start pacing around the room. It's almost too impossible to believe. This is something that happens in movies or on those stupid soap operas that Esme watches every day. It isn't real. It can't be.

"Why? What reason could you possibly have, I mean." I tug at my hair. "What is worth all of this?"

She stops crying and nods. "My life."

I finally sit down in my chair, still apprehensive and mad as hell. Something in her eyes tells me to listen to her. To ask questions. To trust her. I don't want to. "Tell me everything."

She pauses, collecting her thoughts as she plays idly with the blankets.

"The first time it happened, I was six. My dad had some of his friends from work over and they were watching sports in the back room. They'd been drinking...a lot. My mom was still at work, night shift. He was too busy to make me dinner, so I tried to do it myself and I spilled a whole gallon of milk on the floor trying to pour it into my cereal bowl." Her eyes stare off into the distance, glazed over and far away. "I remember him stomping into the kitchen, looking down at the floor...and I never saw it coming. He hit me so hard that I flew back against the door and knocked my head. He told me to clean it up and went back to the game."

My heart sank. He hit her. I shrunk back, not feeling so strong or so mad anymore. Not at her, anyway.

I'd seen things. Experienced awful, terrible things. I accepted a long time ago that this is my life. A little rough around the edges, just a little broken. But her? I can't accept that kind of life for her. My perfect, sweet Bella is just as broken as I am.

"I didn't tell my mom," she says. "I told her that I slipped and hit my head on the table. I never remembered him being so angry before. He always drank a lot, but I thought it was normal, you know? My mom was usually around taking care of me so I guess I wasn't around him much alone until her shifts got switched."

"Did it happen more than once?" I ask.

She cocks her eyebrow and glances down in her lap. "More than once. Sometimes more than once a week. Started hitting my mom, too. As sick as it sounds, I was happy when she got diagnosed with cancer. Because it meant that she wouldn't be home as much. He wouldn't be able to...hurt her as much." She starts to cry again. "And she fought so hard to be home, to protect me. But she just couldn't."

"Didn't she go to the cops? I mean, they could have arrested him, they could have taken him away." I shook my head.

She laughed. "He's the Mayor. His best friends are the head of the police department and the Mayor of Phoenix. We had the Governer over for dinner more than once. He was untouchable, Edward."

I feel sick. I push away the images that flood my mind, but they force their way back in, stinging like a fucking needle.

"After my mom died, it just got worse. He pulled me out of school and had me study at home so they wouldn't see the bruises. And finally one day after he beat the shit out of me, I'd had enough. I didn't put any makeup on, wore a tank top so they could see all the bruises. When I went to file a complaint at the police station, it was useless. He'd told them stories about me. That I was trouble and a liar. They investigated because they had to, but it didn't matter. He'd explain it away and they'd believe his million dollar smile because he was Phil Dwyer. I couldn't get anyone to hear me, anyone to listen. They were too blinded or scared to go against him."

"God," I whisper. I want to kill a man I've never met. My eyes burn, fighting back the tears that I know will come. And they do. Hard.

"He started drinking more and more. It got to a point where he started hitting me just because he liked it. It gave him a rush, power. He started taking pictures to relive it and kept them in a locked box somewhere in his room. They were...horrible." She shook her head. "I never recognized the girl in the pictures. Beaten, bruised. But the look in my eyes...the dead look behind them was more than I could take. I was withering away and no one cared to notice. No one saw me." She looks up. "Until you did."

"I'm so sorry," I cried, wiping at my eyes. "I'm so sorry about everything."

She gets up and stands just in front of me. I bury my head in my hands as she runs her fingers through my hair and I can't help but feel weak. She went through all this. She lived it. And I'm the one sitting here falling apart. I'm not used to falling apart and I don't know how to deal with it.

"So how'd you end up here?" I ask.

"I decided I'd had enough. I kept telling myself to just wait. Wait till you're eighteen. Wait until you can move out and break away. Just wait. Until I didn't want to wait anymore. My best friend was a mechanic, he had his own garage in the back of his dad's house and was fixing up a few junkers he'd bought. He knew everything I was going through, he knew that trying to get Phil caught was useless. He knew I had to get out just as much as I did. So as soon as he had a car running, he told me to take it. So I did. I took it and left and I drove and drove for hours with no place in particular in mind. I just wanted to get as far away from Phoenix as I could."

"What were you going to do? I mean what about money, food, a place to stay?"

"I didn't care. I received an inheritance when my mother died so I had a good bit of cash to last me for awhile until I figured out what I was going to do."

I reach out and grab her hands. "I wish I could have taken your place. Been the one to go through that. Not you."

She squeezes my hands and leans down to kiss the top of my head. "I don't." Her tears are damp against my skin, but when she speaks again her voice is steady. "I didn't stop except to eat and get gas. I didn't sleep. I couldn't. I was terrified he'd find me unless I just kept going. I barely remember crossing over the Washington state line."

"How'd you end up in the water?"

"I was so tired. I'd never been more tired in my entire life and as much as I was fighting it, my eyes wouldn't stay open. I'd rolled the window down to try and keep myself awake. My mind was foggy, everything was blurry. But I kept driving." She kneels down and I look up, almost embarrassed for her to see me like this. I don't cry. Ever. "I remember coming around a curve and then everything went black. When I came to, the car was filling up with water. I managed to get out through the window and I just started swimming. I had no idea where I was. I just kept swimming, fighting off the cold and the weight of my clothes. The next thing I knew was your face." She smiles and brushes her fingers across my lips. "I thought you were an angel."

"That smelled like sweat and cigarettes."

"Everyone's Heaven is a little different." She leanes forward and kisses me. "You're mine."

* * *

**A/N: Poor Bella. :(**

**Reminder to go vote in the TLS Poll for Fic of the Week, it's only open a few days and the voting is extremely close because there are so many amazing stories up this week! The best thing is that you can pick up to 5 of your favorites :) Go vote here (take out the spaces) www . tehlemonadestand . net (yes it's teh)**

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	16. Chapter 16

I hold her for what feels like hours. She falls fast asleep on my chest, curled up so tight against my body. I don't mind.

My eyes drift aimlessly out the window, unable to find sleep of my own. The moon is hanging high above the ground below, cut and sliced by the rising trees behind the house.

I allow one last tear to slip from my eyes before I stop them. I know this has to be it. They have to be done. I won't cry anymore for her or what she's been through because I have to be strong. I have to be a rock. I have to be that for her.

Unfortunately, my thoughts don't stop along with the tears. It's impossible to stop thinking about it. Imagining him hurting her. Seeing her battered and bruised. In pain. And I can't help but wonder if it went beyond that. If he... I close my eyes, unable to even think the words. I just can't. I grumble in frustration.

"You're not asleep," Bella mumbles.

"You were."

"Your thoughts were so loud, I couldn't stay asleep."

"I'm sorry."

She turns and rests her chin on my chest. "Ask me."

"What?"

"Whatever it is. Whatever you're thinking about right now. Just ask me."

"Did he ever..." My jaw clenches shut. "I mean did it ever go." I sigh. "Damn it."

"Did he ever molest me. That's what you want to ask, isn't it?"

I nod and hold my breath.

"No," she answers.

"Thank God." I rest my head back and hold her tighter. "Oh, thank God."

She smiles. I can feel the sweat slip down my neck, a consequence of my nerves. My entire body is going haywire and she seems perfectly content.

"Hey," she says. She raises her hand and brushes it against my jaw. "Breathe."

"After tonight, I'm done freaking out about it. I promise."

"It's okay. It's okay to freak out. I did years of freaking out before accepting that I deserved something better."

"How are you so calm talking about it now?"

She shrugs. "Because I'm talking to you."

"I'm special, huh?"

"You're pretty damn special. Do you even know how nice it is for someone to know the truth? For you to know the truth? It's like a thousand pound weight off my shoulders. Like I'm finally free."

"Are you going to tell Charlie?"

"When the time is right." She leans forward and kisses me. "Will you go to sleep now?"

"Okay," I mumble against her lips.

I watch her lay her head back down and pull the blankets up around us. Just before I close my eyes, something hits me. Maybe hit isn't the right word. Have you ever just smacked yourself in the forehead...figuratively of course, and realized how much of an idiot you were because you never truly saw something for what it really was. Never saw hope deeply you fell for her. Or how much you'd die to protect her. Or even how much just thinking about her in pain causes your heart to burn like a fire inside your chest. And when you finally do realize all of these things, you know in that precise moment that you can't ignore them or push them aside like you'd done before. How in that precise moment...everything is different.

"Bella, I lo-"

"Sleep, Edward."

So I do. I let it all go for long enough to fall asleep. When I wake up in the morning, she's gone. I spot a note sitting on my dresser and immediately recognize her large, loopy handwriting.

_You gave me the best sleep I've had in a long time. I can't thank you enough for that and for listening. Just listening. No one's ever done that. _

_And I love you, too._

_Bella_

I'm smiling like an idiot. Through the bullshit and the disgust, I'm smiling. And it's all because of her and those three words. I love you.

"Edward?" Carlisle knocks on my door and peeks his head inside. "Esme made breakfast, are you coming down?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute." I fold the note and stick in my drawer.

"You alright?" He asks. "You look a little tired. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Everything's okay."

"You know you can talk to me, right?"

"Yeah, Carlisle. Thanks. Tell Esme I'll be right there."

He leaves me and I take a quick shower before getting dressed. For some reason, I feel more at home, more normal than I ever have before. Maybe I'm finally able to trust people again. Trust that they won't disappoint me like my parents did.

Everyone's downstairs by the time I come down and they're surprised to see me.

"Edward actually coming around for a family breakfast?" Emmett teases. Alice just smiles, like she knows exactly what's going on inside my head.

"Don't tease him too much, Emmett. He'll turn right back around." Esme laughs and slides some pancakes onto a plate for me. "Butter and syrup's on the table."

"Thanks, Mom." I lean forward and kiss her cheek before I realize what I'm doing.

She smiles, soft and kind, before going back to the stove. Everyone else is silent, curiously watching our exchange.

"What?" I ask, cutting into my pancakes before I even sit down. Alice hands me the syrup before I ask. Esme starts humming to herself as the smell of bacon floats through the kitchen. I can't help but think that this is what family is supposed to look like. No piles of dishes, no bags of trash or laundry on the floor. No stepping over used needles or strange people in your house. Bacon. Breakfast. Stupid brothers and weird sisters. Dad reading the newspaper. This was it. Family.

"Nothing." Carlisle says, flattening out his newspaper on the table. He fights a smile as he begins to read. "Nothing at all."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this chapter was a little on the short side, I ended it where I saw fit :)  
**

**Remember to head over to TLS and vote for Something for the Rest of Us to be featured as a Fic of the Week! The competition is so close so every vote counts. The poll is only open for a couple more days. Head to www . tehlemonadestand . net to vote!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Something wonky is going on with alerts, so just in case please note that this is the SECOND update for today.**

* * *

Things with Bella are good. Actually they're amazing. Charlie is more accepting of our relationship, especially after Bella explained everything that had happened. Well not the truth of course, not yet. She isn't quite ready yet for the entire world to know. But she told him enough to get him off my back and allow me back into his house.

Christmas is coming up and I'm more nervous than I have been in the past. It was never a big deal when I was little. Probably because my parents preferred to spend their money on their drugs instead of getting a present for their kid. I remember exactly one Christmas where we actually got a tree. It sat in the corner of our living room with no lights and no decorations. It sat there long enough for the needles to completely die and fall off. There were never any presents underneath it, no Christmas carols ever sung around it. I never crept downstairs to try and catch Santa Claus because I knew better. There wasn't any reason to believe in the fantasies and fairy tales that all the other kids did. The real world tainted my head too much to even consider it. So I was that kid, the one at school who scoffed at everyone telling each other what Santa brought them for Christmas. The one who looked down at the floor when the teacher asked what our favorite Christmas present was. The one who threw away the stupid fucking reindeer ornaments we made in class as soon as I left the building. I told myself it made me stronger, accepting the real world and shutting out any sensational idea of believing in something extraordinary. This year was different. This year, Bella made me believe.

"You keep thinking so hard, your face is going to stay that way," Emmett says. He grabs the milk from the fridge as I scroll down the screen of my computer.

"I'm trying to find Bella something for Christmas."

"Ah. The dreaded first Christmas gift."

"It's more than that." I shake my head, frustrated because I can't find anything that catches my fancy.

"Girls love homemade shit. Why don't you just make her something?"

"Oh okay, Martha Stewart. What do you suggest I make her?"

"I don't know. You're smart, I'm sure you'll come up with something." He takes a swig right from the milk carton and steps out of the room.

I sit in silence for a few moments, staring at the computer screen. The familiar itch creeps up, one that I've tried to let go ever since I've found out the truth about Bella. I can't help it. I want to know more about her. Things that I can't just ask her. I'm curious.

I look around to make sure no one's going to barge in on me before I type in her name. The search results pop up and I scan through them. Mostly school related things. Until he pulled her out anyway.

_Isabella Dwyer Serves Ten Aces in Volleyball Home Opener_

_Isabella Dwyer, Max Hart named Students of Month_

_Mayor Dwyer Celebrates at Firemen's Ball_

I click on the last one and a newspaper article from last year pops up. There's a large photo at the top showing a middle aged man labeled as Bella's father. There's a girl beside him and at first I don't even recognize her. I instantly see what she saw in her pictures. She wasn't even there. Not really. Just like she was going through the motions of living without really feeling. My heart broke all over again seeing her pale and skinny, parading a fake smile around.

"Son of a bitch," I whispered.

"That doesn't sound good," Carlisle says, stepping up behind me. I clear my throat and slam down the top of the laptop, hoping and praying that he didn't see her face.

"I was playing a game."

"Losing, I assume?" He sits down beside me and smiles as he pulls out the paper.

"Badly."

"Bella's here."

"Here? Now?" My eyes widen.

"Yeah. She's in the living room helping Esme with the tree."

I scramble out of my seat, which is apparently entertaining to Carlisle because he's laughing under his breath.

When I make it to the living room, I spot Bella reaching up to put an ornament on the tree. She's smiling and chatting with Esme as she sits digging the decoration boxes out of the storage bin.

I stop myself from interrupting and lean up against the entryway, watching them as they go.

"We'd love for you to come visit us for Christmas dinner. As long as it's okay with Charlie, of course," Esme says.

"Really? I'd love to."

"You know while we have a moment alone, I just wanted to say thank you."

"For what?" Bella asks.

"For Edward. I've never seen him like this. As happy as he is now. I always knew it was there deep down inside him, but he had his guard up so high I wasn't sure anything could break it down. And then you showed up. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough. You saved him, Bella."

"He saved me. More than once."

I clear my throat and step into the room. Bella looks up and smiles. "Hey," she says.

"Hi." I shove my hands in my pockets.

"I'm glad you're here, honey," Esme says, digging deep in the storage bin. "You're just the man we need for the job."

"Job?"

"The star on the top of the tree. We're not tall enough to reach it." She hands me the star and I step onto the ottoman to give myself some extra height. As I reach over to stick it on the top of the tree, I glance down at Bella and smile.

We work on decorating the tree and part of me is happy that I never did this as a kid. It's fucking exhausting. You can't put the same ornament too close together. And if you put too many on one side, the tree's lopsided. It's like a puzzle that never ends. Bella and Esme seem to enjoy it though. I give up halfway through and lounge on the couch while they finish up.

After they're done, Bella and I head up to my room. She ambles towards my bookcase and starts fingering through the spines. I miss her touch. I miss being close to her. I come up behind her and brush her hair over her shoulder.

"Don't be mad," I whisper as I brush my lips over her neck.

"Why would I be mad?"

"I...Google'd you." I close my eyes and dip my forehead down to her shoulder.

"That sounds interesting." I can't tell if she's amused or upset.

"I'm sorry."

"No reason to be." She arches her neck back as my arms wrap around her waist.

"What's your favorite song?" I ask. She laughs.

"Isn't that like a first or second date question?"

"Yes. Technically. But I didn't think to ask it on our first or second date because I didn't think you knew. I think I deserve first and second date answers."

"Case of You by Joni Mitchell."

I cock my eyebrow and kiss her neck again. "You like older music?"

"Yeah." She turns her face towards mine. "It was my mom's favorite song. I remember sitting beside her while she did her makeup...listening to that song. Over and over. It reminds me of her."

I close my eyes as she spins towards me.

"I love you," I mumble, forcing my eyes open. There's nowhere to look except hers. Nowhere else I want to look.

"I love you."

She leans forward and presses her lips to mine. Everything that's been going through my head and my heart comes rushing in, buzzing like a live wire through my entire body. I always thought love was weak. That loving someone made you weak like it did my parents. I couldn't have been more wrong. Love is strong. I feel strong.

I step forward, forcing her back up against the bookshelf as I kiss her. My hands drift down to her waist, slipping just under the hem of her shirt to feel her skin.

She whimpers and for a moment I think I've crossed the line again. That she's having another episode and that I came on too strong. Too demanding. I pull away and freeze, hoping she's okay. Her brow furrows as she catches her breath.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

"I thought...I thought I was hurting you again. I don't want to scare you."

She closes the space between us and shakes her head. "I'm not so scared anymore." She glances down at my lips before she kisses me again, pushing me back onto my bed.

She kneels on the bed, one leg on each side of me, and falls forward. My body moves, forming to hers with every move that she makes.

We kiss, our hands scouring every inch of each other. I fumble across the neck line of her shirt and pull it down over her shoulder as my lips brush across her skin. She whimpers again and this time, I smirk and continue up her neck.

"Edward?" Carlisle knocks on the door. Bella straightens up and pulls her shirt back into place.

I sigh. "Yeah."

He cracks the door and sticks his head in. "Sorry. Charlie's just called looking for Bella."

Bella glances at the clock. "Shit," she hisses. "I was supposed to be back a half hour ago. He's making dinner." She gives me a quick kiss and hops off the bed. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

"I'll call you later." She slips past Carlisle and a few moments later I hear the door slam downstairs.

Carlisle doesn't leave right away. He narrows his eyes at me and shrugs. "Are you sure everything's okay?" He asks. My brow furrows.

"Yeah. Why? Am I acting like something's wrong?" I wonder what his fascination is with that question.

"No. I suppose not." He's holding my laptop in his hand. "You left this downstairs." He sets it on my desk and smiles as he leaves.

I pull it off my desk and onto my lap, opening it up to play around a little. My heart stops. Bella's image is still up on my browser. "Shit," I whisper. I shouldn't have left it down there. Someone could have easily opened it up and seen this. I make a point to close it out and delete my history, just in case Emmett borrows my laptop to watch porn again.

When I'm convinced every trace of her is gone, I check my email and my Facebook before rolling over and taking a nap. Christmas is already exhausting and it's still two weeks away. Bah-fucking humbug.

* * *

**A/N: The chapter earlier was just too short for a day's update, so you get another one today :)**

**And I want to spend the rest of this little author's note saying thank you to those who have ventured over to TLS to vote for Something For the Rest of Us, or any of your other favorites who are on the poll this week. You have no idea how amazing it feels to have an army of readers who stand behind you, your characters, and your story, and I'm sure all of the other authors feel the exact same way. So thank you a million times over. I love you guys so much and even though I do this whole writing thing because it's something I enjoy and something that gives me an escape, I love sharing it with you even more. **

**...and puppies and rainbows and unicorns and everything else that is fluffy and lovey. :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Due to FF issues with alerts, make sure to check that you haven't missed any chapters. I posted 2 yesterday. **

* * *

It's the end of the day, our last day before winter break. Then it's two weeks of freedom. Two weeks of Bella.

I get done with gym early and wait for her outside of her class. It's exam day. I peek inside and Mr. Miller shakes his head at me so I retreat and let them finish in peace.

When the bell rings, everyone floods out into the hallway looking somewhere between exhausted and ecstatic. Bella steps out without seeing me, so I snatch her up and pull her against my chest.

"How'd you do?" I ask.

"Good, I think. Did you hand in our paper?"

"Just did." I grab her hand and we start towards her locker so she can get her things. Jessica's watching us as I wait for her. It's been awhile since she's caused any problems or tried to get in my business. But I should know something's coming. She's like Jaws. Always coming back looking to eat you. Literally.

"Bella. Edward," she says, nodding to each of us. "Happy Break! I hope you'll both be attending my New Year's Eve Ball."

I push my sleeves up and cross my arms over my chest. "And why would we do that?"

"Listen." Jessica smiles and I can't tell if it's real or fake. "I know I've been a bitch to you guys, but can't we just let bygones be bygones. I mean new year, new start. Right?"

Bella and I look at each other and shrug.

"You know the deets, Edward. Hope you can make it." Jessica skips away and I hold back my gag reflex. I think I'd rather chop my dick off than go to another one of her parties.

Bella finishes up at her locker and we head back out to my car. She's unusually quiet since our encounter with Jessica and I wonder if she's gotten to her.

"Hey, don't worry about Jessica. She's probably just trying to be a bitch." I slip my arm around the back of her seat as we pull out of the parking lot.

"I'm not worried about Jessica." She bites her lip.

"Then what is it?"

She shakes her head and pulls her legs up onto the seat. "So, what's this New Year's Ball all about?"

"Seriously?"

"I'm just curious!"

"Every year Jessica throws this massive party at her dad's mansion. It's like a mini prom. Invite only. Black tie. Booze. Probably drugs. Sex."

"Sex?" She cocks her eyebrow and I smirk.

"Lots and lots of sex." I say as we pull up to her house.

"I don't see what's so bad about that." She winks and gets out, throwing her bag over her shoulder. I watch her disappear into Charlie's house. She wants to go. I can tell. And hell, maybe Jessica is turning over a new leaf, but I'll never trust her. I can count the number of people I trust in this town in almost one hand. Carlisle. Esme. Emmett. Alice. Bella. And Demetri, who I'm heading to see right now.

Ever since he was assigned my case and I got placed with the Cullens, Esme has always insisted that I give him a Christmas gift. She gets so excited about it that I don't have the heart to tell her that he's Jewish. It's become a running joke between me and him these past few years. And even if I didn't realize it at first, I owe him a lot. So I don't mind.

He's the only one left in the office when I arrive. There's remnants of an office Holiday party on the desks and the floor. I pick up a red and green tinsel and throw it around his shoulders as I slink down into the chair in front of him.

"Hey, my man. How are you doing?" He looks up briefly from his papers and continues writing.

"Good. Really good."

He stops and sets his papers down. When he looks up at me again, he's got the biggest grin on his face.

"Really good? That's one I haven't heard before. What's her name?" He pushes his chair back onto the hind legs and stretches his arms over his head.

"Bella."

"The girl from the woods?"

"One and the same."

"Must have been fate. Too bad about her condition. Any changes?"

"No," I lie. Well, not really. There haven't been any changes. She's known all along.

"She's in a good home. They're good for each other."

"What happened to his kid? Charlie's, I mean. I never heard the whole story."

"She was a pretty girl. Maybe just around Bella's age or so when it happened. She was going to see her boyfriend out on Barry Road. Sad part was Charlie was the officer on duty and heard it come over the radio. One vehicle accident, driver deceased. Can you even imagine? Knowing that the accident you're driving towards isn't just somebody's child. It's your child."

I try to swallow, but I can't. "No. It's a tragedy."

"He had a real hard time after that. Blamed the boyfriend, blamed himself. Bella is the first person to allow him to give into the pain. To let it go and move on. I never thought I'd see him smile again."

"She's got something special about her." I play with the hem of my shirt and wonder if I can get away with asking him what I'm going to ask him. Because ever since Bella told me everything, I've gone through stages of panic and fear. What if someone else finds out? What if her dad finds her? What if the police take her away? How can I possibly protect her? "Can I ask you something?"

"You know you can."

"Hypothetically. If someone is abusing their kid and the kid runs away and gets caught. What would happen?"

"Has this kid reported the abuse...hypothetically?" I think he knows none of this is hypothetical, but he knows me well enough not to ask who the real life inspiration is.

"What if, hypothetically, the someone is a pretty powerful person and has it swept under the rug?"

He rubs his neck. "That's tough, man. If the incidents of abuse have been investigated and dismissed, until new evidence or new claims of abuse occur, it's very tough to get the case revisited."

"So, they side with the abuser? And you wonder why I think the system is fucked up?"

"The system is flawed, Edward. I've never said it was perfect."

"So what is your advice for the kid then? Just go back and take it until he kills her?!" I realize I've slipped up and panic takes hold.

He leans forward. "Hypothetically...and off the record. Never. Stop. Running."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you again to Joey, who helped me out with some social work info. :)  
**

**Reminder, there's only 1 more day to vote at The Lemonade Stand to get Something For the Rest of Us featured as a Fic of the Week. It's really easy, takes about 2 seconds. You don't have to sign up for anything or deal with any annoying ads. You just go to the website www . tehlemonadestand . net and vote in the poll on the right hand side. Thank you!**


	19. Chapter 19

My conversation with Demetri gets me thinking. Panicking is more like it. Bella will never be free. Phil is and will always be her father, always have some type of hold over her. Until she's eighteen at least. And maybe even after that.

She'll always be looking over her shoulder, wondering when he's going to catch up to her. And I pray to God that I'll be there to protect her, but I can't imagine the constant fear she's living in. It doesn't show because she's strong, but I know it's there. Like hovering over the edge of a cliff, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She knows more than anybody the extent of the limbo she's in and I don't blame her for wanting to be invisible when she first got here. I'm pissed that I'm letting this whole thing get to me, but it's a lot to take in. For me and for her.

"Edward?" Emmett peeks outside onto the porch. I hide my cigarette behind my back and discreetly blow my smoke away, thinking it was Esme checking on me. "Coming in for dinner?"

"Yeah. I'll be there in a sec." I flick my cigarette down into the snow. It's Christmas Eve and I still have to find something for Bella before she comes here tomorrow.

"Are you okay?" He glances inside before stepping out onto the porch, closing the door behind him.

"No," I admit. I lean against the porch railing and cross my arms. It's so cold, I can see my own breath, but I don't want to go back inside quite yet. Inside is suffocating, pretending that everything's perfect. It's about as close to perfect as I've ever had, but there's a crack, an unmistakeable fissure that runs right down the middle of it.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I bite my lip, debating if I can tell him something. Anything. Bella asked me to keep it under wraps for awhile, but I need to talk to someone. And not in the hypothetical. Life is anything but. I need the real. I need the here and now. I need to talk about me and Bella.

"Can I trust you? And no bullshit, Emmett. Can I trust you with something that you can't tell anyone?" I ask.

"I'm your brother. You can tell me anything."

"It's about Bella..." I say, and I begin to tell him Bella's story. And he actually listens. Emmett may seem like a dumbass a lot of the time, but he's one of the best people I know. Just like Esme and Carlisle.

"Wow. Poor girl."

"What do I do, Em?"

"She sounds like she's got a good head on her shoulders. I don't think she expects you to do anything other than be there for her. And if you or her need anything, I'm here for you. I mean that. You are my brother. Blood or not."

"Blood or not." I nod and he hugs me.

Esme finally opens the door, wondering what the hell we were doing out here for so long.

"We're waiting for you." She gives us the eye, the one that tells us we better get our asses back inside.

The next morning, we wake up and have Christmas Cullen Style. Alice, Emmett and I all get footie pajamas. It's tradition. Actually, I'm surprised that Esme can still find them big enough. Emmett passed linebacker status two years ago.

This year, unlike tradition, I actually put them on and we get a picture in front of our tree.

We all disperse after the gift opening, off to play with our new toys. I can't help but notice the time and the fact that Bella will be here in a few hours.

"Carlisle, we're out of milk!" Esme screams from the kitchen. "How is that possible?"

Emmett quickly ducks out of the room, looking guilty as ever.

"Hal's is open today. I can go grab some." Carlisle starts to get out of his seat, but I stop him.

"I'll go. It's okay." I nod and head upstairs to change out of my pajamas. I don't expect to find Bella's gift at Hal's, the small grocery store just inside town, but I have to do something.

The store is completely deserted when I get there. Only one register is open and Hal himself greets me with a smile.

"Hey, Edward." He waves.

"Hal." I head to the dairy aisle and grab a gallon of milk before allowing myself to wander the others.

I pass by fake jewelry mascarading as something worth buying, and knock off purses, knowing that she wouldn't care for either. I'm convinced I'll be giving her nothing but air until I reach the photo department. I think back to the woods, to how much she hates getting her picture take, to how lifeless and tired she used to look back in Arizona. What if I gave her new memories? What if the girl that's here now, the one that's beautiful and healthy and happy could learn to love herself again?

I grab a disposable camera and a photo album before I head up to the register. Hal rings me up and wishes me a Merry Christmas as I leave.

When I get home, I frantically search through our wrapping supplies, hoping to find something left in the wreckage.

I manage to put the finishing touches on a fucking awful wrap job as the doorbell rings. She's here.

Carlisle answers the door and Bella steps in looking like she just stepped out of a magazine spread. She's the polar opposite of the girl in the pictures. And while I want her to be happy because of herself, I hope a little of it is from me. Because I make her happy. I've never been responsible for someone's happiness before and it feels pretty damn good.

"I have to talk to you." I grab her hand and pull her up into my room before she even has a chance to say hello.

"Merry Christmas to you, too." She laughs, pulling me into a kiss as soon as my door closes. I'm momentarily distracted, but I end up reeling it in and remembering why I brought her up here in the first place.

"I really...really want to keep doing this with you. But I have to give you your gift first."

"Okay, if I must." She plops down on my bed and closes her eyes, even though I don't ask her to.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Ready."

I hand her the wrapped monstrousity and wait. She opens her eyes and stares at it, trying to figure out what it is.

"What is it?" She asks.

"Open it."

She peels away the wrapping paper until she's left with the camera and the photo album. I expect the silence that follows, but luckily I'm prepared.

"I know you have a thing about cameras and pictures, but just hear me out. I want you to love yourself and me and love your memories here. Maybe stop being afraid? Because I won't let anyone or anything ever hurt you again, Bella."

"You promise?" She picks up the camera and walks towards me.

"Absolutely."

A smile tugs at the ends of her mouth as she leans forward to kiss me. A moment later, I hear the camera snap a picture.

"I love it," she whispers. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Now, I have to give you your gift." She twirls around and grabs a large rectangular gift about the size of a textbook.

I rip open the paper and find myself staring at the same book I looked at for an hour each day this past semester. Our Biology book.

"Uh...thanks?" I say.

"Open it."

I do as she says and immediately see why it's no ordinary Biology book.

"I'm not trying to cheat off you," I read.

She smiles. "They're going to charge me for that, asshole."

"Weren't we supposed to turn these in?" I ask, holding up the book.

"Yeah. But I kept mine. It was one of the first interactions we had...while I was conscious anyway. It's a memory."

"Thank you." I set the book down on my desk and take her hand. "Are you ready for the Cullen Christmas Experience?"

"Should I be scared?"

"Very. Last year, Esme's mom caught her wig on fire while she was leaning over the candles."

"That sounds awful."

"It was hilarious."

Bella laughs and punches my shoulder. "Edward," she scolds as we head downstairs. "Be nice."

That's what Christmas is. Nice. Perfect. Amazing. Any other fucking annoying word that is in existence. That's what Christmas is this year. And for once in my life, I'm thankful for it.

* * *

**A/N: What a lovely Christmas :)  
**

**Today is the last day to vote at TLS and the competition is pretty tough, guys. Make sure to get your voice heard and vote! www . tehlemonadestand **


	20. Chapter 20

Bella is sitting on my bed, twirling her hair around her finger. She keeps looking up at me while I finish reading up on a few of the colleges I've been looking at. I never considered going to college before, never pondered anything beyond high school except for being on my own. Now, for the first time, I want a future.

"Are there any that have late deadlines for admissions?" Bella asks.

"A few." I shrug. "I might just take the first semester off and start in the winter. So, it doesn't really matter."

"Oh." She nods and I get the feeling she wants to talk about something.

"What is it?" I close my browser and spin around in my chair.

"It's tonight."

"What is?"

She cowers back, looking unsure of herself. "Jessica's party."

"You really want to go to that thing? It's just some stupid high school party, Bella. I didn't think you were into that kind of thing."

"That kind of thing?" She cocks her head to the side and I get the feeling that she's angry. Okay, no feeling. She's definitely angry. "I have spent my entire life dealing with my father and my mother and all of these things that a kid shouldn't even have to know exist. And I know you had a rough childhood, Edward, but this is your world now. This was never...ever my world. Never normal, no matter how much it looked like it from the outside." She glances towards the door to make sure no one heard her. "I would do anything," she says, her voice breaking. "To just go to some stupid high school party."

Damn. I'm a dick. "All I see when I think of that party is drunk kids, and make out sessions, and just catty girls and guys trying to fuck them. I never thought about all those things being normal." I stand and walk over to the bed, brushing her hair behind her ear. "And even though you are far from normal, which is a good thing, I would be honored to take you to a stupid high school party." I lean down to kiss her. "Go to Alice's room and pick out a dress. I'm sure she won't mind you borrowing one."

I can feel her smile against my lips and I know that despite the fact that I hate these fucking parties, tonight is going to be different.

"I love you," she whispers.

"Love you."

She hops up and kisses me again before skittering out the hallway down to Alice's room. I hop in the shower while I wait for her to choose a dress. When I get out, I'm met with her bare back while she stares at a red dress lying on the bed.

"The dress is beautiful, but I'm a little partial to your current attire," I say.

She crosses her arms over her chest and peeks over her shoulder, her cheeks flushed with a touch of pink.

"Sorry. I forget boys take such quick showers. Are you sure it's okay for me to borrow this? It looks really expensive."

"If Alice was here right now, she'd practically beg you to wear it. I promise." I kiss her neck and grip the towel around my waist. "I'll give you a few moments. Let me just grab some clothes."

"I'm a little partial to your current attire." She smirks and reaches down to the top of my towel. I can't help but notice that her chest is barely covered now.

"Are you?" I cock my eyebrow and glance down at her hand. This was new territory for us and I like it that way. I was so used to rushing into sex with girls that I never even got a chance to consider having an actual relationship with them. Bella's different. We're different.

As my towel falls to the floor, I look behind me to make sure the door is closed.

"Carlisle's downstairs in his study," I say.

"Good thing he's busy."

I clear my throat when she reaches down and touches me and God, it feels good. Every touch, every brush, every trace of her fingers against me creates a buzz so strong in the pit of my stomach that I tremble. My breath quickens, barely a whisper between my lips as she kisses my chest.

Her arm drops from her chest and now she's completely exposed from the waist up.

"You're so beautiful." I reach down and trace a line down the middle of her chest until it rests above her bellybutton.

My hips move on their own, just the slightest push forward into her hand. It's been so long since I've been with anyone that I know I'm going to last just about as long as a Kim Kardashian marriage...in the scheme of things of course.

"Bella," I whisper. I come undone, so completely and entirely that I stumble forward and almost knock her over. "Sorry," I stutter. "Sorry."

"It's okay." She laughs and squirms out from under me. "Can I borrow your shower?"

"Yeah."

She slinks past me and runs across the hallway to the bathroom, holding her shirt up over her chest. I laugh and close the door again so I can get dressed.

Once I pull on some jeans, I prop my window open and have a cigarette. Bella emerges twenty minutes later, her hair damp and a towel wrapped around her body. She steals the dress from the bed with a smile and disappears back into the bathroom.

I pick out a shirt and decide to head downstairs because I know that it's going to take her a little time to get ready. I knock on Carlisle's study door and peek inside.

"Hey, just wanted to let you know that we're going out tonight," I say.

"Where to?"

"Jessica's party. I told Bella I'd take her." I don't go into detail on why for obvious reasons.

"Alright. You know your curfew and you know to call if you need a ride."

"Yes, sir." I clear my throat and he looks up at me. He's got that strange look on his face, the one he's been sporting for the past few weeks. I can't seem to put my finger on it. "Everything okay?"

"Of course." He sets his pen down and leans back in his chair. "Have fun."

"Thanks."

I close the door and step back out into the hallway. I find a snack in the kitchen while I wait for Bella. Even though we ate dinner less than two hours ago, I'm starving again.

"Ready?" Bella says. I turn and find her in the doorway, in that dress that hugs her body in all the right spots.

"You look amazing."

She shrugs. "I don't dress up too often. It's not really my thing, you know. I'm more of a jeans and t-shirt girl. But it's nice to feel...like this." She glances down at the dress.

"Good." I smile, slinging my arm around her shoulder. "Now let's go to this stupid high school party."

* * *

**A/N: Jessica: Good witch or bad witch? Guess we'll find out in the next chapter.**

**Thank you so much to everyone who voted for this story over at TLS. It was voted into the top 5 on the poll which means it will be featured as a Fic of the Week. I'd like to give a shout out to all of the other wonderful stories on the poll this week as well. It was a great group and I was honored to be included.**


	21. Chapter 21

We pull up to Jessica's house, or as close as we can get. The street is lined with cars, so I drop Bella off at the front and park.

"Wow," Bella says, slipping her hand into mine. "Her house is huge."

"Yeah. I've gotten lost in it more times than I care to admit."

We walk up the steps and I can already feel the headache I'm going to get from the music. Through the window, I spot people bustling back and forth, spilling drinks and laughing like hyenas.

"Normal," I murmur to myself. "This is normal."

I push the door open and Bella steps inside. Nobody notices us at first. They're all too preoccupied with themselves and their company.

Emmett's sitting in the living room with Rosalie and Jasper, chugging a beer.

"Hey, guys!" He calls us over and pulls Bella into a hug. "You look great, Bella!"

"Thanks," she says.

"Can't believe you guys made it out. Are you sure you trust Jessica to be...nice?" Jasper asks.

"I hope so," I sigh, glancing around for the devil herself. I don't spot her so I assume we're safe. "She practically insisted that we come."

Emmett grabs me a beer, my only one for the night. Bella sits beside Rosalie and sips on her drink while they talk. Everything seems perfect. Falling in place just like she wanted. Just another stupid high school party. Hanging out with friends, having a drink, listening to music. Not worrying about her dad or all of the bad stuff. She was like a little kid experiencing their first trip to Disney World.

"So, you're happy? I mean really happy?" Rosalie asks Bella.

"I couldn't ask for anything more than this," Bella says.

"Even with this dickhead?" Rose nods towards me and I flip her off.

"Yes."

"Bella! Edward!" Jessica squeals, running...if you can call it that, across the room. "I'm so glad you guys are here." She kisses Bella's cheek and then mine and I almost vomit from the smell of the alcohol on her breath.

"Hey, Jess," I say.

"You guys have to come play with us!" She pulls both of us up and we stumble out of the room.

"Play?" Bella asks.

Jessica pulls us through her kitchen and into the great room in the back of the house. I glance up and spot people hanging out on the floor above, open and exposed to the room below. There's a long table set up, topped with red cups and ping pong balls.

"Beer pong!" Jessica yells.

I roll my eyes. Bella laughs. "Normal, right?"

"Right."

"Bella, be my partner!" Jessica pulls her close and orders me to the other side of the table to be partners with some random guy I think goes to school in the next town over.

"How ya doin?" He asks.

"Fine. Thanks." I nod and grab a ping pong ball. Jessica seems to be explaining everything to Bella and for a moment it all seems too good to be true. Jessica's actually being nice.

"So, that girl you walked in with?" The guy next to me glances down at Bella and it's apparent that he's checking her out.

"She's taken," I say.

"My bad."

"Okay, boys!" Jessica yells. "Get ready to get your asses kicked!"

I never really believed in beginner's luck until I saw Bella play. One game turned into best out of three. Before the slaughter was over, they'd beaten us four games to one. Because I was driving, my partner unfortunately had to take the brunt of our loss.

"I think we've got a new star player," Jessica says, stepping away and gesturing to Bella. Everyone around us cheers and I think maybe they finally see the Bella that I see. Beautiful. Fun. Kind. And maybe they aren't the nasty, awful people I always thought they were.

"Take a bow," Jessica says. Bella blushes and laughs as she takes her bow. And I don't see it until it's too late.

Jessica's eyes turn dark as she glances up at the balcony above us. Two guys are lifting a bucket over the railing, right above Bella.

I push the guy in front of me out of the way and try to speak, scream, say anything to get her out of the way. But I can't.

The water splashes down in an instant, drenching Bella and everything within two feet of her.

"No," I say. She's frozen in place, her hair matted over her face. I rush towards her and take her into my arms. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Jessica throws her head back, laughing with everyone else. "She's not like us, Edward. When are you going to see that? She's a freak. You don't belong with someone like her."

"You're absolutely right, Jess. She's not like you. Which is one of the many reasons that I adore her so completely. And with her is exactly where I belong."

I pull Bella out of the room, through the crowds of people who did nothing but stare at her. I catch Emmett's eye as we head towards the front door and he jumps up.

Once we're outside, I hear Bella mumbling something. The same thing over and over.

"I'm okay," she stammers. "I'm okay. I'm okay." She's shaking and I can't tell if it's because of the cold water or the shock.

"Bella!" Emmett runs out of the house. "What happened?"

"Exactly what I knew would happen. I shouldn't have brought her here, Emmett," I say.

He takes off his hoodie and wraps it around her trembling body.

"Let's get you home, babe." Emmett puts his arm around her just as Rosalie and Jasper step out of the house, all of our coats in hand.

We all pile into my car and even though I'm thankful for my friends, I wish I was alone with her. I want to apologize. I want to tell her that I'm so happy that she's not so normal. And that I love her.

I'm so angry that I don't notice that I've forgotten to turn the radio on. We ride in silence back to the house. By the time we make it there, she's stopped shivering and looks more calm than I am.

I notice a strange car in the driveway and I assume Carlisle is meeting with a colleague, like he does every now and then. Hopefully Esme has some cookies baking because after tonight, I think we all need one or five. And then I spot the police cruiser on the street and I wonder if Bella told Charlie the truth about where we were going tonight. He probably wants to kill me...again.

Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper get out of the car and give us the privacy I've wanted since we left the party.

It's hard to even look at her. The dress still soaked, her makeup running down her cheeks, and her hair in knots.

"I'm sorry," we both say at the same time.

"What are you sorry for?" I ask.

"For making a big deal about going tonight. You were right. I was so stupid and naive to think that I could just be like everyone else."

"But you aren't like everyone else." I lean over and kiss her cheek. "You're so much better."

She smiles. "I promise to never want to be normal again."

"I like that promise. Now let's get you inside before you catch pneumonia." I hop out and run around to open her door for her.

As we head up the front steps, I feel good, despite everything that happened tonight. Until we walk in the door anyway.

The foyer is crowded with more people than I'm expecting. Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper are joined by Alice by the steps. They look anxious. Esme and Carlisle hold each other, leaning against the wall. Charlie and one of his troopers stand with their hands on their hips, in true Charlie fashion. Demetri sits in the only chair.

My eyes land on the last visitor the same moment that hers do. Bella's knees buckle and I struggle to catch her before she hits the floor.

"No," she whispers. "Dad?"

* * *

**A/N: Most of you were waiting for the other shoe named Phil to drop and here he is. Ugly shoe. Ugly, ugly shoe. :/ *kicks shoe. kicks it hard***


	22. Chapter 22

Bella's father. The one who beat her, beat her mother, turned her into a liar in the eyes of everyone she knew. He's standing in my house right now.

"Honey," he says, flashing a smile. It makes me nauseous. As he starts towards her, I step between them, hiding her behind me. "You must be Edward. I've heard so much about you. Thank you for taking care of my little girl." He reaches out his hand, like he actually thinks I'm going to shake it.

"Stay away from her," I snap.

"Edward," Carlisle says. "A word please." He motions into his study and I reluctantly follow him.

"I'll be right back," I tell Bella. She looks small and vulnerable, shaking uncontrollably. I glance at Esme and she nods, heading over to Bella to watch over her.

Once the door is closed, I explode.

"Carlisle, how can you let him into this house? If you knew all the awful things he did to her!" I yell.

"He's her father. And you knew that. I trusted you, Edward. I trusted you to make good decisions. And keeping this from everyone was not." I've never seen him this angry before.

"He hits her, Carlisle. That's why she ran away!"

Emmett opens the door and sneaks in.

"You son of a bitch!" I charge towards him and slam him up against the wall. "You told him! You promised me you'd keep our secret. You said it. Blood or not."

"I didn't say anything, Edward! I swear!" Emmett protests.

"I did." Carlisle steps forward and I cower back.

"You?"

"That day you left your laptop in the kitchen. I saw the news article. I saw Bella and her father in the picture."

"You went through my stuff?"

"I was looking for a recipe, I never dreamed you'd be hiding something like this! This is wrong, Edward! She's a child!"

"She's his child. And she's not safe with him, Carlisle." I shake my head, tears welling up in my eyes. "She's safe with me."

"We can't legally keep her here. She's a minor and is in the custody of her father until she's eighteen."

"Dad, I think he's telling the truth," Emmett steps in. "Her dad, he's a bad guy."

"Has she ever reported him to the police? Has she ever documented anything?" Carlisle asks.

"She's tried," I say. "You know better than anyone that the system doesn't always work! Her dad is a powerful man, he has friends that can cover anything up that he wants. Bella isn't all those things he paints her to be. Please. believe me. Help her."

I see him struggle with his conscience. I know, without a doubt, that Carlisle is a good guy. He didn't do this out of spite. He thought, deep down in his heart, that he was doing the right thing.

"I wish...There's nothing we can do now." He puts his hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry."

Bella's scream, desperate and piercing, rings from the foyer. I whip the door open in time to see the deputy forcing her outside. He was just short of carrying her as she cried and dug her heels into the ground.

"Edward!" She cried.

"What are you doing?" I try to follow her, but Charlie steps in my way. His eyes are red, like he's been crying for hours.

"Leave them, son," he says.

"Don't call me that." I step back. "You can't let them take her, Charlie! She's yours. She belongs to you! Not him. You're her father!"

"It's out of my control, Edward."

Out of his control. Out of Carlisle's control. Out of my control. Isn't there anyone in this fucking place who can help us?

"Let me pass." I glance over his shoulders, panicking as Bella is put in the back of the cruiser. "Let me through, Charlie!" I yell, pushing him back.

Emmett rushes towards me, holding me back. "Don't get arrested, Edward. You can't help her from inside a jail cell. We'll get her back, I promise." He takes a deep breath. "Blood or not."

Bella's father waits at the cruiser and throws a wave up at the house. "I hope you'll come visit us down in Phoenix, Edward. We'd love to have you."

Lies. All lies. He'll never let me near her.

Bella turns in the back of the cruiser, beating frantically on the glass like she's going to break right through it. I fight against Emmett's hold, but he's always been stronger than me. I hate him right now for it.

"Let me go, Emmett!" I shout. He doesn't.

As they pull away, he slowly loosens his grip and I immediately reach for my car keys.

"Where are you going?" Esme asks, looking anxious.

"She still has to get her things at Charlie's. I'll meet them there. I'm not letting her leave with him, Mom. I can't. I promised her."

Now that Bella's left, I break down. And she holds me, just like a mom is supposed to.

"You can't meet her there, Edward," Demetri says. "They've already packed up her things. They were leaving from here. Thought it might be easier."

"How dare you?" I look around the room. "I trusted you. She trusted you."

I grip my car keys tight in my hand and storm to the kitchen. I slip out the back door and hop into my car, squealing out of the driveway before anyone can catch me.

Charlie's house is dark, just like I expect it to be. I'm surprised to find the front door unlocked and head inside, right up to her room. The door is cracked open just a sliver, but even from that all I see is bare floor. I push it open as the tears roll down my cheeks. Gone. It's all gone. Her pictures that she was finally starting to take, her backpack, her pillow, everything except for one thing. The wind chime I got her still hangs by the window.

I need a plan. Now. I don't know what to do, I don't even know where she lives in Phoenix. I just know that I have to get to her as soon as possible.

I head back downstairs just as Demetri pulls up out front.

"I'm sorry, Edward," he says.

"I...told you things. You couldn't have warned us, told us he was coming. You couldn't have done something?"

"I'm doing something right now." He hands me a small set of keys. "I'm reporting them lost first thing tomorrow morning, so get what you need tonight. Her file is on my desk. They fly into Phoenix in six hours." He reaches into his back pocket and gives me some cash. "It's not much, but it'll get you there. I'm doing this because I trust you. And I love you, man." He lowers his voice, even though there's no one else around. "You remember what I told you."

I nod. "Never stop running."

* * *

**A/N: Go get your girl, Edward! **

**Since I know I have some new readers here (*waves to new readers*) I want to let you know about my original fiction that I'm in the process of editing and sending to agents and publishers. If you'd like to stay connected and read more about it, you can like my FB page "The Guardian Series" or you can go to my website www . amandaleighbooks . wordpress . com**


	23. Chapter 23

I can't chance heading back home, so I dig through the back of my car, trying to find some extra clothes for the trip. There's nothing but a single tennis shoe. It won't keep me from leaving right away, but I was hoping to have a fresh change of clothes since I have no idea how long or where this journey will take me. Take us. I'll run with her forever if I have to.

A car pulls up behind me and I freeze, thinking I'm caught. They're going to pull me back, keep me home, lock me up if they have to. And they'll have to.

I close the back door without glancing to see who it is and start towards the driver's side door.

"Edward!" Emmett says, jumping out of his car.

"They send you to bring me back? I'm not going, Em." I open the door and finally look up. He's got bags, two of them, in his hands.

"I'm not bringing you back." He shakes his head. "I'm going with you."

"Carlisle and Esme..."

"Think I'm coming to convince you to stay."

"You can't do that to them, Em. You're their son."

"And so are you," he snaps. "And you're my brother. Blood or not." He nods and throws both bags into the backseat of my car. "Let's go get her."

I can't move. Or speak or think. He's willing to sacrifice, willing to piss off the people that he loves the most, just to help me. I've never known that type of unconditional love, that type of family before. And even though Esme and Carlisle will be furious, I knew they'll forgive us. Both of us. And I love them for it.

We drive to Demetri's office. It's dark except for the porch light outside and I hope everyone's gone home for the night. If I've learned anything from my life, it's that social workers give their heart and soul to their kids and I wouldn't put it past them to work late.

I pull out his keys and we creep up to the door. Emmett watches the road as I slip the key into the lock and open the door.

We hurry inside and close the door behind us. I navigate my way through the desks, something I've done a million times before.

His desk is in the corner with one file sitting in the center of it. I flip on his desk lamp and open it. Bella's face is staring right at me. There's photos, medical reports and her birth certificate, as well as a copy of her driver's license from Arizona. I grab a scrap piece of paper and jot down her address.

We slip back outside and once I lock the door again, I throw the keys into the bushes as a police cruiser drives by. We duck into the shadows and I hold my breath, praying whoever it is doesn't recognize my car and put two and two together.

"Got what we need?" Emmett asks.

"Got it." I hold up the scrap paper. "Let's go."

We switch off driving every few hours so the other can sleep. That's when I'm more than grateful that he came with me. Despite how much I told myself that I could push myself to stay awake, to drive as much and as I fast as I could to get to her, I don't know if I could have done it without him.

We stop only briefly for food and bathroom breaks before we get back on the road.

Even though I'm exhausted, by the time we're halfway through California, I'm running on pure adreneline and can't sleep anymore.

"You're supposed to be asleep," Emmett mumbles from the driver's seat.

"I can't."

"Talk to me."

I force my seat upright and rub my eyes.

"I just feel like I should have known," I say.

"That your girlfriend ran away from home because her father is a sick excuse for a human being, and then lied about her past?"

I glare at him. "No, I just...I should have expected something this fucked up to happen in my life. I just never imagined it would happen in hers."

"You both deserve better than this. Just let all that fear and all those ridiculous expectations go. It isn't unrealistic for you to believe you deserve and will have a good life, Edward. And her too."

"Thanks."

As we get closer to Phoenix, I find my foot pressing just a little harder on the gas pedal. I try not to think about what she's going through right now or if he's hurting her. I hate not being able to get to her quicker. I hate that I'm not there now. I hate that I wasn't able to stop him from taking her back home.

Despite the fact that I spent the better part of my life in different parts of the country, I've never been to Arizona. And honestly, it's a lot of sand and dirt. Dry, arid. Hot.

Emmett's driving when we pull into Phoenix. I grab the scrap piece of paper out of my pocket while he's filling up on gas so I can ask someone for directions. The clerk is more than helpful and draws me a map to the fucking place.

I check the clock. Bella would have landed hours ago. Too long ago. One more moment with that son of a bitch is more than I want for her.

When Emmett finishes, I show him the map and we navigate through Phoenix. I try to keep my nerves in check and take in some of the surroundings, but it's hard. This is where she lives, where she grew up. In some ways, it's a part of her and she's a part of it. I should be sorry that this place will never again feel like home to her, but I'm not. She told me that I was her home, Forks was her home, even Charlie was her home. And that's exactly where she belongs no matter what her last name is or where she comes from.

It's almost midnight when we pull up to the house. It's completely dark except for the flickering of a TV in a downstairs room. I double check the address before Emmett and I get out.

"Now, what?" He asks. "We can't exactly go up and ring the fucking door bell."

"I don't know." I cautiously approach the house and listen for anything. Any movement, any noise, any voices. There's nothing.

I find the window with the TV and peek inside, knowing that if anyone drives by and sees me they'll immediately call the cops. I'm just another intruder to them.

I see the TV playing re-runs of Seinfeld and an empty bottle of whiskey on the table. There's a man laying on the couch, face down and arm hanging out over the edge.

"Her dad's passed out on the couch," I whisper.

"Do you see her?" Emmett asks.

"No, I..." I trail off. A foot. There's a tiny foot coming from the darkness of the hallway, limp on the floor. "Shit."

I step back and rush around the side of the house, looking for another way in besides the front door. I spot a back door and peek inside. It's the kitchen and with the porch light back here, I can see inside just enough. She's laying in the hallway, curled up in the fetal position except for her one outstretched leg. I can't tell if she's breathing or hurt or worse.

I take a chance and tap lightly on the glass. She doesn't move. I tap again, just a little harder and hold my breath.

A few moments pass by before I see her slowly lift her head. Her eyes widen when she sees me and she shakes her head. She doesn't want me to come in.

I nod to the door, asking if it's unlocked. She nods, looking back into the living room. Then she holds up her hands, motioning the number 0913. 0913. 0913. Over and over again.

I look back at Emmett before I gently turn the door handle. To my surprise, it opens with ease. It creaks only slightly as I push it open.

The moment I step inside, a loud beep makes me jump.

"Alarm enabled," the robotic voice calls out.

"Shit," I say, debating if I should just grab her and run. She's frantically motioning the same number again. 0913. I glance at the lit alarm panel and the number pad. 0913.

When I realize what she was trying to tell me, I quickly punch in the numbers before the alarm goes off.

I turn back to Emmett, who's waiting on the porch. "Go start the car," I whisper.

He leaves and I take another step inside. Bella falls back to the floor as I tiptoe towards her. I don't say a word as I scoop her up into my arms. She's clinging something close to her body.

The sound of a bottle hitting the floor makes us both catch our breath. I look into the living room and see her father flop over to his back, still in a dead sleep. His empty whiskey bottle lays on the floor beside him.

I carry Bella back across the kitchen floor and outside. I don't even bother closing the door.

As soon as we're outside, she finally starts to cry. I kiss her forehead as we rush across the yard towards the car.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get here, baby," I whisper.

I pull the backseat open and sit down, holding her close to my chest.

"Go, Emmett."

He speeds away, breathing hard and checking in the rearview mirror every few seconds.

"Police station?" He asks.

"No," Bella cries. She doesn't trust them and neither do I.

"Just drive."

Bella cowers into my chest, folding herself up so tiny that I feel like she's going to dissolve into me.

"Hold me," she says.

I can't help but think of the first time we met. When I pulled her out of those woods, cold and shaking and two steps away from death. I refused to let go then and I won't do it now. So I hold her while Emmett speeds out of the city, with no map or direction. Just anywhere but here.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading. We're actually coming to a close on this story and I'm so glad and thankful for everyone who has joined me. **


	24. Chapter 24

We stop at a motel just outside Prescott and get a room for the night so we can figure out our next move. Emmett gets our key while Bella and I wait in the car. We don't speak, not quite yet. She'll talk when she's ready to.

Emmett motions us over to our room and Bella gets out of the car. I realize she doesn't have any shoes on so I bend down and she climbs on my back, wincing along the way. I try not to think about how he hurt her right now. I just want to get her inside.

I carry her across the parking lot and into the room. It's nothing special, but it seems to be clean. There are two double beds and a TV with a rabbit ear antenna on top of it.

Emmett puts our bags on one of the beds and shuffles his feet. "I'm going to go find some food. Can I bring you guys back something?"

I know he's trying to give us some privacy so I offer a smile and tell him to grab whatever. Bella sits down on the edge of the bed and wraps her arms around herself.

It's too much to take. All of it. I held it together until now, but everything is crashing down on me. Her. What he did to her. The fact that I couldn't get there in time.

"I need just one second," I whisper, turning around and heading back outside.

I pace in the parking lot for a few moments, trying to compose myself. I just want to scream. I want to yell and cry that this can't be our life.

It's so real to me now, seeing her crumbled up on the floor and seeing her sitting on the edge of the bed looking so small and fragile. I don't know that girl. I know the strong, sarcastic, beautiful, and tough girl from Forks. Somehow I know that the two are the same, that somewhere the girl I know is in there. And I hate that he made her doubt that.

I do one more lap around the parking lot before heading back inside. I nod to Emmett and he grabs his wallet.

Once he leaves, I take a deep breath and kick my shoes off. "How about a shower?" I ask.

She nods.

I head into the bathroom and turn on the shower for her. When I turn back around, she's staring at herself in the mirror and I see her face in the light for the first time. She's got a gash on her cheek and a bruise on her jaw just below her lip.

"He jumped me the moment we walked inside. Said he was going to teach me a lesson about running away and telling lies," she mumbles. "I didn't move because I was scared he would wake up. It's not that bad, I promise." She reaches for the bottom of her shirt and pulls it up over her head. There's another bruise on her shoulder. I hate to think what bad is if this isn't it.

I try to help her, but she shakes her head. "I'm okay."

"Okay is a relative term here." I offer to help again and this time she lets me. I run my fingers lightly over the dark blue spot on her shoulder and lean down to kiss her neck. "I'll kill him before he does this to you again. You're better than this, Bella."

I help her undo her bra and it slides off her shoulders. I turn around to check the water as she slides her pants off, joining the rest of her clothes on the floor.

She slips past me and steps into the shower.

"I'll give you some privacy," I say.

She sticks her head back out. "Stay. Please."

"Okay."

I slide down the wall and sit on the floor beside the shower. I watch her, and not because I'm some sick pervert or horny teenager who wants to watch his girlfriend shower. I'm almost scared that she's going to disappear. That he's going to find us and burst in here and take her away.

She wets her hair, brushing it over her bare back as the water cascades across her skin. And even if this desperate, horrible situation, I can't help but notice how beautiful she is. I love this girl.

When she's finished, I hand her a towel and she steps out, wrapping it around her body.

She kneels down, straddling my waist and dripping all over me. I don't care.

"Thank you for coming to get me," she says.

"I'll always come get you." I lean forward to kiss her, short and sweet. I don't want to push it, but she does.

She grabs hold of my shirt and twists it in her palm, holding me close. I try to pull away, but I have nowhere to go. She's suffocating in the best way.

"I love you," she says. "I just want to be with you. I don't ever want..." She trails off. "The only other person who ever cared about me left."

"Your mom didn't have a choice. And I'm telling you that's the only way I'll ever leave you. If I exist, somewhere and anywhere, I'll be with you."

She nods, leaning forward to kiss me again. The towel falls from her body and lands in a pile around her waist.

I allow myself to give in, convinced that I've never wanted her more completely and wholly than I do now.

I slide my arm around her waist and pull her close to me as I push myself up off the floor. I kiss her as we stumble back out of the bathroom and onto the bed. She lays her head back onto the pillow and for the first time tonight, she smiles. Not a happy or ecstatic smirk. Just content. Despite everything, she's content.

I reach over my shoulder and pull off my shirt as I kneel down on the bed. She reaches for the button fly on my pants. Moments, later I kick them off and we're finally bare, stripped down and naked in every way, shape and form.

For the first time in my life, I feel vulnerable in front of a girl. But she's not just any girl. She's _the_ girl. And suddenly everything's different.

When we finally come together, I'm whole. All the little bits and pieces finally align inside me and I don't feel so lost anymore. She always says I'm the one saving her, but it's the other way around. She's been saving me a million times over from the moment I found her in those woods.

It wasn't like this. Not ever before. I wasn't proud that I had a list to compare her to, but when it came down to it there was no comparison. Like equating the smallest spark to the sun. She's so brilliant and bright that it's blinding.

And when she kisses me, I feel all that she is and everything that I want to be. The boy with a past has a future, and it's with her.

After she falls asleep, I see something sitting on the nightstand. I recognize it immediately. It's the photo album I bought her just a couple of weeks ago. This must be what she was holding when we picked her up.

The corners of the pages are worn from her going through it so much. I peruse the pages, looking back at our first holiday together. It was hard to believe that it was just over a week ago. She's gone through five cameras since then, making me drive her to the store to get each film developed the moment they were finished.

Most of the photos are of me or Charlie, but she had taken a few of herself. Never her entire face. She isn't quite ready for that yet.

Emmett gets back with some food almost an hour later and I wonder where he found something this late. Or this early, depending on how you look at it. Whatever it was, I was starving and exhausted.

We eat at the table while Bella sleeps silently in my shirt.

"Don't be mad, but I called Mom," he says, taking a big bite of a burger.

I drop my fries.

"I didn't tell her where we were, crazy." He glares at me. "Don't look at me like that. She was worried. I just wanted to let her know that we were okay."

"Fine."

"She had some interesting information..."

"What's that?"

"Charlie's MIA."

"What do you mean?"

"He's gone. Poof. Nobody's seen him since this morning. Or yesterday morning. Whatever it is."

"Where the hell would he go?" I ask, grabbing some more fries.

I put some food in the mini fridge so Bella could eat when she wakes up. Emmett heads into the bathroom to take a shower as I lay down beside her. I know that sleep is coming quick. My body feels like wet cement, heavy and paralyzed. As I curl up beside her, I can't seem to let it go. Where is Charlie?

* * *

**A/N: Put a GPS on that man. He's got to be up to something, right?**

**Thank you again for reading! :)**


	25. Chapter 25

I give in and call Mom when I wake up later. Carlisle jumps on the other line, because they are one of the only families that I know that I still owns a landline phone.

"Are you alright?" Esme asks.

"Yeah. We're okay." I kick some rocks against the cement outside and look back at the hotel room door. Bella's still asleep.

"Emmett wouldn't tell us anything," Carlisle says.

"I know. Don't be mad at him, he's just trying to protect me."

"You haven't done anything illegal, have you?" Esme asks.

I sigh. "I haven't done anything I regret." I try to change the subject. "Have you heard from Charlie yet?"

"No. He's been missing since yesterday, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's just off taking his time to digest everything. This was hard on him, Edward, he loves Bella like she's his own. It hard to be tough to watch her leave."

"I don't buy it." I shake my head. "He's doing something...I don't know what, but I highly doubt Charlie Swan drove off to a retreat to sort through his feelings."

"Where are you?" Esme asks. I can sense the worry in her voice and it makes me feel like shit. I didn't do this to make her worry or piss her off. Hurting her was the last thing on my mind.

"I can't tell you that, Mom."

"Alice says..."

"Alice says a lot of things," I mumble. "Listen, I have to go. We'll call you later."

I hang up and head back inside. I hear the shower running and Emmett is noticeably absent.

"Good morning," Bella says, stretching out on the bed. "Where'd you go?"

"Call Carlisle and Esme. They've been worrying."

"I don't want to come between you and your family, Edward."

"You're part of my family, now." I sit down beside her and rest my arm over her leg. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore."

"Emmett picked you up some Tylenol." I reach over to the small paper bag and pull out the pills for her.

"Thanks. So what's the plan now?"

I wonder if I should tell her about Charlie. I mean, he's got to be up to something right? Maybe he's contacted her.

"Have you heard from Charlie?" I ask.

She avoids my eyes. "No." She shakes her head. "I wish I could. Just talk to him. Tell him I'm okay and that I miss him."

"We can try in a bit." I don't want to worry her yet. I don't even know if I'm worried, really. It's just strange.

"I'm thirsty, do we have anything to drink?" She asks.

"There's a pop machine outside. What do you want?"

"Anything. Thank you." She pulls the covers back over her head as I step back outside. I pull out my phone again when I'm a few steps away and dial Charlie's number. It goes to voicemail.

"Charlie...it's Edward. Sorry, but where the fuck are you? Everyone's looking for you and I know you think I don't know you, but this isn't like you. I know you're sad about Bella, but we can fix it. Trust me. I don't know how yet, but we'll fix it. Please just, call me. Okay?"

I grab Bella a Coke and start back to the room. My phone rings before I walk in and I step back again. It's Charlie.

"Charlie," I answer, moving quickly away from the door.

"Edward. Where are you?"

"Asked you first," I say.

"I'm probably the same place you are."

"Highly doubt that."

"She's with you, right?" He asks.

I don't answer.

"Damn it, boy. Tell me. I need to know that she's okay, so stop chicken shitting around it and just tell me that she's with you."

"She's with me."

"Keep her inside, wherever you are. I wouldn't be surprised if Phil sent out a report yet, who knows who is looking for her."

"He won't find her here." I clear my throat. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to fix it."

There's a long pause and I'm afraid that he's hung up.

"Hey Charlie?" I ask.

"Yeah."

"She wasn't lying. About any of it."

"I know that. It took me ten minutes after you left to realize that I never should have let her go. I had a daughter taken from me before and I won't let it happen now." He sighs. "I have to go." He hangs up before I can say anything else.

Emmett's out of the shower by the time I get back inside and he's crashed again on the bed. When you're confined to a room with two beds and a TV, you tend to want to sleep all the time. Damn, did Bella sleep. Her and Emmett are like nap partners, while I aimlessly scan through the channels and wait to hear back from Charlie. Hear just...anything.

And finally we do hear something. Almost a full twenty-four hours later we hear police sirens, right outside our hotel room door.

* * *

**A/N: Holy crap I think there's only 1 more regular chapter and an epilogue! It's all coming to a close :(**


	26. Chapter 26

"Shit!" I look towards Emmett. "What do we do?"

Bella's eyes widen as she stumbles towards the back of the room, like she's trying to get as far away as possible from the sound. She knows what that sound means down here. It means she's going back to Phil. They'll call her a liar and a runaway. Nothing but trouble. She'll never get to experience the world or see the beauty in life. All the things I want for her more than anything.

I glance around, looking for another escape. The only window sits next to the front door.

"Emmett!" I say again.

"I don't know." He shakes his head. "I don't know what to do. How did they even find us?"

There's a knock on the door and we all jump. I close my eyes and pretend it's just a dream. It can't be happening. Not when we're so close, not when I promised her the world. I can't live with breaking that promise and now it's all crashing down in a matter of moments.

"Police Department. Open up, please!" They pound harder.

I look at Emmett, wondering what he's thinking. Should we open it? Explain ourselves? Show them Bella's bruises?

Before we can even debate it, a key slides in the lock and the door flies open. Four policemen barge inside, and force Emmett and I face down on the bed.

"Bella!" I scream into the fabric. I turn my head sideways and see two police officers trying to escort her out. She's kicking and screaming, fighting to get away from them. Can't they see them? Can't they see the bruises?

The cuffs slide onto my wrists and the office pulls me up as he reads me my Miranda rights and tells me that I'm under arrest for kidnapping and breaking and entering.

I barely listen to him. I just keep my eyes out for her.

As they lead me and Emmett outside, I see her slip into the back of one of the cruisers waiting outside. She pounds on the glass as soon as they close the door.

Emmett and I are pushed into another car and they take off. Just like that. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes since we heard the sirens and to be honest I'm not even that fazed that I've just been arrested. The thought doesn't even cross my mind.

"Edward," Emmett says under his breath. His eyes widen and for the first time, I see he's scared.

"We have to call Charlie," I say. "He'll help us, he'll know what to do." Charlie Swan is our only hope for salvation. I never thought I'd hear myself say that, but it's all I have to hold onto right now.

We're silent for the rest of the drive because I can't fucking think straight. I just need to talk to Charlie. He said he'd fix it. He said he'd work it out.

I look ahead every now and then to see if we've caught up to Bella's car. I never see it. For all I know, they could be turning her back over to him now. She's right. They don't care. They never will as long as he's in charge.

Once we get back to Phoenix, we're booked and led to separate interrogation rooms. I hope Bella is still here. If she's still here, we have a chance. I make myself believe that they'll listen. That they'll have to see the truth.

They look at me like I'm a hardened criminal. Like I'm trash, something that you throw out with the dinner scraps. Jury, judge, and executioner. And I start to panic, my palms slick with sweat.

They sit me in a room that's painted a dark shade of gray on all four walls, and the floor and ceiling, except for the long mirror on one wall. There's one table in the middle with two chairs. I'm handcuffed to one and left alone for endless minutes.

I tap my foot anxiously against the floor and wonder if they've called Esme and Carlisle yet. I hate to think of them, hearing that both of their sons got arrested. I tell myself that I'll take the blame, that hopefully they'll let Emmett off easy.

As the minutes pass, I start to grow frustrated. And fucking pissed off. Why did they sit me in this fucking room and leave me for all this time? And where is Emmett? And Bella? And why aren't they telling me anything?

"Hello!" I scream, staring at the mirror. I know there's someone on the other side watching me. "Can we just get on with it?!" I scrape my chair against the floor and put my head down.

The door finally opens and I sigh as I look up.

"You son of a bitch," I whisper. Phil is standing in front of me, looking smug as ever. A far cry from the drunk that was passed out on the couch. He looks refined and respectable, the last person you ever thought would turn into a monster.

"You really thought you could sneak her away? Just slip out without a trace, without a word." He sits down across from me. "You forget that I own her and I own this town. And they will never believe a word you say."

"I will kill you."

"Threatening a public official." He shakes his head. "You're just as much of a bad seed as she is."

"That's a compliment coming from you."

"Enjoy prison."

"She'll never testify against me."

"She won't have to." He smiles again and slips out of the room.

I clench my fists. "I want my phone call!" I scream, rattling my handcuffs so hard that my wrists start to bleed. I don't even feel the pain.

I sit fuming for another half hour before someone has the nerve to check on me. My eyes are closed when the door opens and I take a deep breath. "I get a phone call."

"Who else were you planning on calling?" Charlie said.

My eyes shoot open. Charlie. He comes over and unlocks my cuffs.

"What the hell is going on?" I ask.

"I told you I'd fix it."

"But..."

"Someone down here owed me a favor."

"I don't understand."

He leans against the wall and clasps his hands together. "A buddy of mine is a detective in Scottsdale. He offered to help the Phoenix PD with the case as a favor to me. Turned Phil's house upside down looking for evidence in Bella's disappearance and ended up finding a hollow floorboard filled with...pictures."

"Of Bella." The pictures. The ones Phil took. This was it. We have him.

He nodded. "Logged them into evidence, all except for one, and took it right to the DA. Offered the dirty cops deals if they testify against Phil and about what they've covered up."

"But why this whole scene? Did you really have to get me arrested?" I'm suddenly aware of the pain in my wrists.

"We wanted a solid case against Phil. We needed him to think that they were still on his side, that he was in control. We needed him on tape and we didn't want him to run."

"Is Bella alright?" I ask.

"She's being checked out by a medic because I'm paranoid."

"You're not paranoid. You're a father." I reach out to shake his hand and to my surprise he doesn't take it. Instead he pulls me into a hug. A smothering, suffocating hug.

"Thank you," he says.

"You're welcome." I nod, relieved. "By the way, how did you find us?"

"You dumbasses walked around in broad daylight when your pictures are plastered all over the news. The front desk manager called. You're lucky I had a plan, otherwise we'd be in big trouble."

He opens the door and we walk out into the lobby. Emmett is sitting in a seat next to Bella with his arm around her shoulder.

She jumps up when she sees me and starts to cry. I sniffle, trying to hold it in. Truth is I've never been so happy in my entire life. My girl is free. Free to live her life, go to college, have a family...even dump my ass if she wants to. I wouldn't mind. Okay, I would mind. A lot. But at least she's able to make her own choices.

All I can do is hold her and tell her that it's over because that's all there is. It's over. This long Hell that she's been living in is over.

A deputy comes from one of the interrogation rooms, leading Phil in handcuffs. I turn us around so Bella doesn't have to see him and she buries her face into my chest.

"Hey, asshole." I smirk as he looks up. "Enjoy prison."

* * *

**A/N: Last normal chapter right here and BAM we got him :) Go on with your bad self, Charlie!**

**Before I started this story, I had to debate on whether I wanted the focus to be them on the run or their characters and relationships, I went with the latter which is why I didn't drag out the running. Hope I made the right decision. :)**

**Epilogue will be up at some point tomorrow. Any predictions? I will warn you it's a very unconventional epilogue (which I have a tendency to lead towards over the expected) and I just ask you to stick with me on it and trust that it's the perfect ending for them. I realize that sounds super scary, but its not. I promise. (EDIT: I've received some emails that this has scared people off the epi. READ THE EPI. When I say all these things, I simply mean it's not the formulatic wedding and baby because I didn't think that was appropriate for them. It's HEA, people. I wouldn't do anything but.)**

**Thank you again for sharing this journey with me! I don't have any immediate plans for any new FFs, so at this point I'll probably be focusing on my OF. But if the inspiration hits and the plot bunny attacks, I'll be back with a new story!**

**M**


	27. Epilogue

"I'm just finishing this filing and then I'm leaving early today, remember?" I call out to Demetri from the front desk.

"Bella's birthday, right?"

"Eighteen. She's finally eighteen." I smile as I push the last file into the cabinet and turn around. "You ever think I'd be working here? I mean I know it's just front desk and just until I leave for college, but I've got to be the hottest piece of ass who's ever held this position, right?"

"I always knew you were going places, Masen. I was just waiting for you to show me where that was." He leans back in his chair. "Still can't believe you're going into social work. Haven't you had enough of it?" He laughs and stands.

"You helped me, D. You saved my life, gave me someone to talk to, told me off when I needed it. I want to do that. I look up to you more than anyone."

"That means a lot, kid." He reaches out and slaps my shoulder.

"We're alone. It's okay, you can admit it. I was your favorite."

"Get out of here!" He jokes, throwing his pen at me.

I grab my stuff and head out the door. I drive towards Charlie's for Bella's birthday dinner. If the last few days are any indication, Charlie's nervous. In fact, if I was a betting man in Vegas, I'd lay down twenty to one odds that he's pacing in front of the fireplace with his hands on his hips, staring at the envelope on the coffee table.

Bella's new truck is sitting outside in the driveway. She's been volunteering at a Women's Shelter close to Seattle on the weekends, so she really needed her own car. She's a natural of course, talking to those women about their experiences and about hers. She's so good at it that they offered her an internship for the entire upcoming year while she starts community college, talking at conferences all over the country. I leave for college two days before she takes off to Seattle.

I haven't let myself think about it. Being away from her for that long. I'm afraid that if I do, I'll drive myself crazy. It's not that far really. I mean USC is only about a seventeen-hour drive to Seattle if I really need her. If. That's bullshit. I'll always need her.

The smell of roast hits me as soon as I walk through Charlie's door. Even though it's her birthday, Bella insisted on cooking.

Charlie is doing exactly what I knew he would be. Pacing in front of the fireplace.

"Hey, Chief," I say, throwing a wave his way.

He nods as I continue into the kitchen. Bella is standing at the stove, stirring something and swaying her hips to the beat of the soft music playing in the background.

I slide my arms around her waist and lean in close. "Happy birthday," I whisper.

She smiles and turns her head a little, acknowledging my presence. "How was work?"

"Good." I kiss her cheek. "That smells delicious." She offers me a taste. "You know Charlie's nervous as hell."

"He still won't tell me a thing. He wanted to wait until you got here." She narrows her eyes at me. "You know what my present is, don't you?"

"I do." I smile.

"You know, I told him he didn't have to get me anything. He's done enough. I mean, he's taken me in like I'm his own, paid for my food, my clothes, everything. College." She turns back to the food. "But if he was going to get me something, he could at least have surprised me instead of torturing me with this wait."

"I promise you it's worth the wait. And he hasn't spent any more than he already has on you." I figure that puzzle would keep her going until he was ready to tell her.

When dinner was ready, we all ate on TV trays in the living room while Charlie watched his baseball. There was ice cream, with a candle right in the middle of her scoop for Bella, for dessert. And by the time we're scraping our bowls, Charlie's stopped eating all together. His eyes land on the envelope, the same one he was staring at earlier.

"I guess...you can open your gift now," he mumbles. "It's in that envelope there."

Bella smiles as he averts his eyes down to his lap. She hops up and brings the envelope back to her chair.

"What is it?" She asks, tearing the top part off. She pulls out a stack of papers and her expression changes. Her jaw falls open and even from here, I can see her eyes fill with tears.

"Adoption papers?" She says, her voice cracking. "But I'm eighteen. Why now?"

Charlie looks uncomfortable talking about all this emotional stuff. "Well, I figure I want you to be my kid because you want to be. Not because you feel obligated to while you're still living here." He chances a look up at her. I feel bad for the guy. He looks like he's about to pass out.

I know what it's like...waiting for her to say yes. It's like waiting for the one thing that you know will be the best thing to ever happen to you. How is it even possible to stomach that kind of anticipation?

"I've never wanted anything more than to be your daughter," Bella says. She stands and throws herself down on Charlie's lap, curling up against his chest like a little girl would with her dad.

A hint of a smile tugs on his lips as he kisses the top of her head. I grab the plates and head to the kitchen to give them some privacy.

I do the dishes and put away the leftovers so Charlie has lunch for the next few days.

"This is my favorite birthday," Bella says, slipping in beside me.

"Good. Because it's not over yet." I've been so anxious for Charlie that I've forgotten to be anxious for myself. I still have to give her my gift. "You ready?"

"Where are we going?"

I lean in and kiss her. "It's a surprise," I whisper.

We get in my car and drive, talking about nothing in particular. I take her through the winding roads and down to First Beach, close to the woods where I found her over a year ago.

"What are we doing here?" She asks, squeezing my hand.

"This is where it all started, me and you." I pause. "Crazy how much has changed, isn't it?"

"All for the better."

"It's just that we're starting this whole new, big thing in our lives now. You're going to Seattle and I'm going to California and it just feels like the end of something."

Her smile falls. "Are you breaking up with me?" She whispers.

"No, quite the opposite." I put my arms around her waist. "We are destined to do great things, especially you. And I want you to be able to accomplish all that you want to. And God, I have dreams, Bella." I shake my head and smile. "But I know that every one of those dreams is going to lead me back to you." I pause because this is the hard part. This is the part that's going to make that seventeen hour distance that much harder. And that much more worth it. "So I want you to go out and see the world, study it, get your education and I don't just mean in the classroom. Tell me about it. Write me. Call me if you want. But I want to give you your time to find yourself, baby. You won't have to worry about me finding another girl, because I've already found the girl for me." I lean forward and kiss her forehead. "And in four years...four years," I hold up four fingers, "When I'm done with school and you've made your mark, we'll meet back here." I look down at the ground. "At this very spot. Four years from today. And we'll be unstoppable."

She smiles and I'm relieved. She understands.

The moment she was free from Phil I knew that I was the only one that could give her exactly what she deserves. The world. So I'm going to give it to her, no matter how hard it's going to be to be away from her. I'm going to miss her. I'm going to wish that I was a selfish prick that had to be with her every second of the day. And I'm going to love her for the next four years while we're out finding our place in the world. Until we meet back here in this exact spot. Four years.

**Four Years Later...In This Exact Spot**

I'll be lying if I tell you that I haven't seen her at all in the last four years. In fact, I would have gone crazy not seeing her. I was home on breaks, she visited Charlie. We were bound to run into each other somewhere. She'd call me every now and then to let me know where she was and what she was doing and I'd tell her all about school and applying for graduate schools.

We made new friends. Experienced new places and things. And I carried her with each step. I carried her in the way that I carried myself. In the way I saw people and treated people. How I saw myself. There was never a single doubt in my head about her or our relationship, no matter how strange it seemed to most people. Together, but not. They don't understand how important this whole thing is. It's everything to me that she gets to experience life the way it was meant to be. And I deserve the same because I sure as hell didn't have a great childhood. Our paths led us right back to where we're supposed to be, just like I knew they would, like footprints in the sand.

I step out of my car and follow the tiny footprints from just beyond the parking lot, along the water's edge at First Beach, and towards the tree line. She's standing with her back to me, staring at the endless stretch of sand before her.

Her hair's a little shorter than the last time I saw her, curled and wavy as it falls just past her shoulders. She's wearing a long dress that blows in the sea breeze and sweater to keep warm.

My body's buzzing, aching so bad just to reach out and touch her.

"I was afraid you weren't coming," she says, turning towards me.

I smile and shove my hands into my pockets. "I've been waiting for this for the last four years." I take another step towards her.

She takes me in, just a little older, hopefully a little wiser. There's a little more scruff along my jaw and I wouldn't be caught dead in any of the clothes I used to wear in high school.

I worry for a moment that I'm too different. That maybe this world proved to be too much for me to compete with. And then she smiles.

"Hey," she says, wrapping her arms around my waist and perking up on her toes. "Hold me?"

* * *

**A/N: I told you it was unconventional, but they still got their HEA. Just like for Edward, it was so important to me for them to not go from being Foster Kid Edward and Abused Bella to Edward and Bella. They deserved more than anybody to be their own person, out on their own, away from the labels and the restraints that their childhoods put on them because they were never allowed to be that before. And that didn't mean that they loved each other any less, in fact I think that it means that they loved each other more because that takes a great deal of strength to let someone go and trust and know that they'll come back to you. And I couldn't have imagined a better ending for them :)**

**Thank you again so much for reading and joining me on this story. I hope to stay in touch, please follow me on twitter. I have a Fandom account and a RL account and I'd invite you to follow either or both. Fandom: MandyLeigh010 RL: AmandaLeigh1123**

**XOXO**


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